Islam in Taiwan
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Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
is a minor religion in
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
and it represents about 0.3% of the population. There are around 60,000 Muslims in Taiwan, in which about 90% belong to the
Hui The Hui people ( zh, c=, p=Huízú, w=Hui2-tsu2, Xiao'erjing: , dng, Хуэйзў, ) are an East Asian ethnoreligious group predominantly composed of Chinese-speaking adherents of Islam. They are distributed throughout China, mainly in the n ...
ethnic group. There are also more than 250,000 foreign Muslims working in Taiwan from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines, as well as other nationalities from more than 30 countries. As of 2018, there are
eleven Eleven or 11 may refer to: *11 (number), the natural number following 10 and preceding 12 * one of the years 11 BC, AD 11, 1911, 2011, or any year ending in 11 Literature * ''Eleven'' (novel), a 2006 novel by British author David Llewellyn *'' ...
mosque A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...
s in Taiwan, with the most notable being the
Taipei Grand Mosque The Taipei Grand Mosque () or Taipei Zheng He Mosque () is the largest and oldest mosque in Taiwan. Located in the Da'an District of Taipei City, it is Taiwan's most important Islamic structure. History First building After the handover o ...
, the oldest and largest one. Taiwanese Muslims are mostly descended from
Chinese Muslims Islam has been practiced in China since the 7th century CE.. Muslims are a minority group in China, representing 1.6-2 percent of the total population (21,667,000- 28,210,795) according to various estimates. Though Hui Muslims are the most numero ...
in
Mainland China "Mainland China" is a geopolitical term defined as the territory governed by the People's Republic of China (including islands like Hainan or Chongming), excluding dependent territories of the PRC, and other territories within Greater China. ...
, and are
Sunni Muslims Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagr ...
mostly belonging to the
Hanafi The Hanafi school ( ar, حَنَفِية, translit=Ḥanafiyah; also called Hanafite in English), Hanafism, or the Hanafi fiqh, is the oldest and one of the four traditional major Sunni schools ( maddhab) of Islamic Law (Fiqh). It is named aft ...
school. A sizeable
Ahmadiyya Ahmadiyya (, ), officially the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community or the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at (AMJ, ar, الجماعة الإسلامية الأحمدية, al-Jamāʿah al-Islāmīyah al-Aḥmadīyah; ur, , translit=Jamā'at Aḥmadiyyah Musl ...
community also exists. Nevertheless, they practically face no problem at all with other groups of Muslim schools. Differences are more a matter of mutual curiosity.


The spread of Islam to Taiwan


First wave of migration

Islam is believed to have first reached Taiwan in the 17th century when soldiers from the southern
Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...
coastal province of
Fujian Fujian (; alternately romanized as Fukien or Hokkien) is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its capi ...
accompanied
Koxinga Zheng Chenggong, Prince of Yanping (; 27 August 1624 – 23 June 1662), better known internationally as Koxinga (), was a Ming loyalist general who resisted the Qing conquest of China in the 17th century, fighting them on China's southeastern ...
on his invasion of Taiwan to oust the
Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...
from the southern city of
Tainan Tainan (), officially Tainan City, is a Special municipality (Taiwan), special municipality in southern Taiwan facing the Taiwan Strait on its western coast. Tainan is the oldest city on the island and also commonly known as the "Capital City" ...
in 1661 and established
Kingdom of Tungning The Kingdom of Tungning (), also known as Tywan by the British at the time, was a dynastic maritime state that ruled part of southwestern Taiwan and the Penghu islands between 1661 and 1683. It is the first predominantly Han Chinese state in Ta ...
in Taiwan. Earlier before that, Islam believed brought to Taiwan by Admiral
Zheng He Zheng He (; 1371–1433 or 1435) was a Chinese mariner, explorer, diplomat, fleet admiral, and court eunuch during China's early Ming dynasty. He was originally born as Ma He in a Muslim family and later adopted the surname Zheng conferred ...
in 15th century. Many of them were Muslims and they brought their families with them to the island and settled in several settlements, such as Lukang, Tamsui etc. They built a
Quanzhou Quanzhou, postal map romanization, alternatively known as Chinchew, is a prefecture-level city, prefecture-level port city on the north bank of the Jin River, beside the Taiwan Strait in southern Fujian, China. It is Fujian's largest metrop ...
-styled mosque in Taiwan. Although the mosque no longer exists now, relics from the building still exist. These people are believed to be the first Muslim settlers on the island. Their descendants, however, became assimilated into Taiwanese society and adopted the local customs and religions. According to Professor Lien Ya Tang () in his book ''History of Taiwan'' () (1918), there were few Muslims on the island most of whom were from other provinces in mainland China. There was no spread of Islam and no mosques were built. The final traces of the first Muslims migration to Taiwan were wiped out during the Japanese colonial rule of Taiwan in 1895–1945. The Japanese government forbid the Taiwanese from practising foreign religion, which resulted in many of the local people practise their faith secretly. The last Imam that came from Mainland China to Taiwan was in 1922. During that time, all of the foreign religions were proscribed. After the handover of Taiwan from Japan to the
Republic of China Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northeast ...
in October 1945, the tradition of sending Imams from the mainland resumed again in 1948. The
Chinese Muslim Association The Chinese Muslim Association (CMA) is an organization of Chinese Muslims in the Republic of China (Taiwan). A rival group, the Chinese Muslim Youth League competes with it in Taiwan. History In Mainland China The Chinese Muslim Associatio ...
(CMA) put a number figure for all of the people who come from the first wave of Islam migration to be around 20,000 people. Despite the effort of the association to resuscitate Islam among them, basically they no longer practice Islam anymore in their daily life.


Yunlin

In Taiwan, one branch of this
Ting Ting may refer to: Politics and government * Thing (assembly) or ting, a historical Scandinavian governing assembly * Ting (administrative unit) (亭), an administrative unit in China during the Qin and Han Dynasties * Ting (廳,厅), an administr ...
() family descended from Ajall Shams al-Din Omar resides in Taixi Township,
Yunlin County Yunlin County (Mandarin pinyin: ''Yúnlín Xiàn''; Taigi POJ: ''Hûn-lîm-koān''; Hakka PFS: ''Yùn-lìm-yen'') is a county in western Taiwan. Yunlin County borders the Taiwan Strait to the west, Nantou County to the east, Changhua County t ...
. They trace their descent through him via the
Quanzhou Quanzhou, postal map romanization, alternatively known as Chinchew, is a prefecture-level city, prefecture-level port city on the north bank of the Jin River, beside the Taiwan Strait in southern Fujian, China. It is Fujian's largest metrop ...
Ding family of
Fujian Fujian (; alternately romanized as Fukien or Hokkien) is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its capi ...
. Even as they were pretending to be
Han Chinese The Han Chinese () or Han people (), are an East Asian ethnic group native to China. They constitute the world's largest ethnic group, making up about 18% of the global population and consisting of various subgroups speaking distinctive va ...
in Fujian, they still practiced Islam when they originally came to Taiwan 200 years ago, building a mosque, but eventually became Buddhist or Daoist. The mosque is now the Ding families Daoist temple.


Changhua

In
Changhua County Changhua County (Mandarin Pinyin: ''Zhānghuà Xiàn''; Wade-Giles: ''Chang¹-hua⁴ Hsien⁴''; Hokkien POJ: ''Chiang-hòa-koān'' or ''Chiong-hòa-koān'') is the smallest county on the main island of Taiwan by area, and the fourth smallest ...
, there is another Ting family which resides in Lukang Township. They trace their Muslim ancestors from the family books, originated from
Quanzhou Quanzhou, postal map romanization, alternatively known as Chinchew, is a prefecture-level city, prefecture-level port city on the north bank of the Jin River, beside the Taiwan Strait in southern Fujian, China. It is Fujian's largest metrop ...
, Fujian as well. It was recorded that there was a mosque and bath well built in this town in 1725 run by the Kuo family. However, many of the ancestors stopped practicing Islam once they arrived in Taiwan due to public pressure and the well also disappeared shortly before
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. Their ancestors left some hints to the current generations of their Muslim heritage, which is shown in their
siheyuan A ''siheyuan'' (; IPA: ɹ̩̂.xɤ̌.ɥɛ̂n is a historical type of residence that was commonly found throughout China, most famously in Beijing and rural Shanxi. Throughout Chinese history, the siheyuan composition was the basic pattern used ...
-shape of their house, resembling a square-shaped house with courtyard in the middle, different from the ordinary Taiwanese houses which is
sanheyuan ''Sanheyuan'' (Chinese: ; pinyin: ''sānhéyuàn''; Wade–Giles: ''san1-ho2-yüan4'') is a historical type of residence that was commonly found throughout China and Taiwan. ''Sanheyuan'' have structures on three sides of a courtyard, forming an ...
, a U-shaped house with courtyard in the middle. From the
bird's-eye view A bird's-eye view is an elevated view of an object or location from a very steep viewing angle, creating a perspective as if the observer were a bird in flight looking downwards. Bird's-eye views can be an aerial photograph, but also a draw ...
, siheyuan houses resemble the Chinese character hui (), which represents the
Hui people The Hui people ( zh, c=, p=Huízú, w=Hui2-tsu2, Xiao'erjing: , dng, Хуэйзў, ) are an East Asian ethnoreligious group predominantly composed of Chinese-speaking adherents of Islam. They are distributed throughout China, mainly in the ...
, a minority Muslim people in northwest China. The families gained their fame and wealth by running business in Lukang. Also in Lukang, there are also descendants of Hui who came with
Koxinga Zheng Chenggong, Prince of Yanping (; 27 August 1624 – 23 June 1662), better known internationally as Koxinga (), was a Ming loyalist general who resisted the Qing conquest of China in the 17th century, fighting them on China's southeastern ...
who no longer observe Islam, the Taiwan branch of the Kuo ( family in which is not Muslim and follows traditional Chinese cultures, but still does not offer pork on Fridays nor offering it to their ancestral shrines. They also like to keep their heads
covered Cover or covers may refer to: Packaging * Another name for a lid * Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package * Album cover, the front of the packaging * Book cover or magazine cover ** Book design ** Back cover copy, part of co ...
during rituals. The CMA counts these people as Muslims. Based on certain historic documents, it was reported that there used to be a mosque in Beitou () area in Lukang. According to some studies, the former site of the Kuo family ancestral temple () would have been the site for the mosque few hundred years ago.


Keelung

There are also two families in
Keelung Keelung () or Jilong () (; Hokkien POJ: '), officially known as Keelung City, is a major port city situated in the northeastern part of Taiwan. The city is a part of the Taipei–Keelung metropolitan area, along with its neighbors, New Taipe ...
whose ancestral shrine contains a
Quran The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Classical Arabic, Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation in Islam, revelation from God in Islam, ...
and examples of Arabic script, although they did not understand the significance of these objects until contacts were made recently with the newly arrived Muslims in Taiwan. Those two families are not Muslims and do not read Arabic, but they honor a book held sacred by their forebears.


Tainan

Similarly, two or three families in
Tainan Tainan (), officially Tainan City, is a Special municipality (Taiwan), special municipality in southern Taiwan facing the Taiwan Strait on its western coast. Tainan is the oldest city on the island and also commonly known as the "Capital City" ...
are reported to observe funeral customs more associated with Islam rather than Taoism or Buddhism, such as ceremonial washing of the body and wrapping it in white cloth, although in other aspects of their life they are normal Taiwanese.


Second wave of migration

The second wave of Muslim migrants occurred during the
Chinese Civil War The Chinese Civil War was fought between the Kuomintang-led government of the Republic of China and forces of the Chinese Communist Party, continuing intermittently since 1 August 1927 until 7 December 1949 with a Communist victory on m ...
in the 20th century when around 20,000 Muslim families fled
mainland China "Mainland China" is a geopolitical term defined as the territory governed by the People's Republic of China (including islands like Hainan or Chongming), excluding dependent territories of the PRC, and other territories within Greater China. ...
with the Nationalist Government to Taiwan in 1949 at the end of Chinese Civil War under General
Bai Chongxi Bai Chongxi (18 March 1893 – 2 December 1966; , , Xiao'erjing: ) was a Chinese general in the National Revolutionary Army of the Republic of China (ROC) and a prominent Chinese Nationalist leader. He was of Hui ethnicity and of the Musli ...
. Many of them were soldiers and government employees at the time and came from provinces were Islam is strong such as
Yunnan Yunnan , () is a landlocked Provinces of China, province in Southwest China, the southwest of the People's Republic of China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 48.3 million (as of 2018). The capital of the province is ...
,
Xinjiang Xinjiang, SASM/GNC: ''Xinjang''; zh, c=, p=Xīnjiāng; formerly romanized as Sinkiang (, ), officially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China (PRC), located in the northwest ...
,
Ningxia Ningxia (,; , ; alternately romanized as Ninghsia), officially the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region (NHAR), is an autonomous region in the northwest of the People's Republic of China. Formerly a province, Ningxia was incorporated into Gansu in ...
,
Anhui Anhui , (; formerly romanized as Anhwei) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, part of the East China region. Its provincial capital and largest city is Hefei. The province is located across the basins of the Yangtze River ...
and
Gansu Gansu (, ; alternately romanized as Kansu) is a province in Northwest China. Its capital and largest city is Lanzhou, in the southeast part of the province. The seventh-largest administrative district by area at , Gansu lies between the Tibet ...
(mostly southern and western regions of China). First mainland Chinese Muslim settlers in Taiwan founded Taiwan's first mosque in 1947, the
Taipei Grand Mosque The Taipei Grand Mosque () or Taipei Zheng He Mosque () is the largest and oldest mosque in Taiwan. Located in the Da'an District of Taipei City, it is Taiwan's most important Islamic structure. History First building After the handover o ...
in
Taipei Taipei (), officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about southwest of the n ...
. The mosque symbolized the friendly gesture from the ROC Government to Islam and also reinforced ROC diplomatic ties with their Muslim allies. After the establishment of the mosque, diplomatic activities between Republic of China and other Muslim countries developed considerably and trade and commerce increased remarkably. This second wave of Muslim migration from Mainland China to Taiwan resulted in the creation of other mosques in Taiwan, such as the
Kaohsiung Mosque The Kaohsiung Mosque () is a mosque in Lingya District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. It is the second mosque to be built in Taiwan after Taipei Grand Mosque in Taipei. History First building Kaohsiung Mosque was built in 1949 in Taiwan by Muslim nation ...
in 1949 in
Kaohsiung Kaohsiung City (Mandarin Chinese: ; Wade–Giles: ''Kao¹-hsiung²;'' Pinyin: ''Gāoxióng'') is a special municipality located in southern Taiwan. It ranges from the coastal urban center to the rural Yushan Range with an area of . Kaohsi ...
,
Taipei Cultural Mosque The Taipei Cultural Mosque () is a mosque in Zhongzheng District, Taipei, Taiwan. The mosque is the third one to be built in Taiwan and it is owned by the Chinese Muslim Youth League. It also houses the Taiwan Halal Integrity Development Associ ...
in 1950 in Taipei and
Taichung Mosque The Taichung Mosque () is a mosque in Nantun District, Taichung, Taiwan. It is the fourth mosque to be built in Taiwan. History After fleeing Mainland China with the Nationalist Government at the end of Chinese Civil War in 1949, some Chinese ...
in 1951 in
Taichung Taichung (, Wade–Giles: ''Tʻai²-chung¹'', pinyin: ''Táizhōng''), officially Taichung City, is a special municipality located in central Taiwan. Taichung has approximately 2.8 million residents and is the second most populous city of Taiw ...
. During the 1950s, contact between Muslims and
Han Chinese The Han Chinese () or Han people (), are an East Asian ethnic group native to China. They constitute the world's largest ethnic group, making up about 18% of the global population and consisting of various subgroups speaking distinctive va ...
were limited due to differences in custom. The Muslims were largely dependent on each other through the
ummah ' (; ar, أمة ) is an Arabic word meaning "community". It is distinguished from ' ( ), which means a nation with common ancestry or geography. Thus, it can be said to be a supra-national community with a common history. It is a synonym for ' ...
(Islamic community) that met regularly in a house on Lishui Street () in Da'an District, Taipei, the original site of the Taipei Grand Mosque before it was relocated and rebuilt at its current site at Xing Sheng South Road () in 1960. However, by the 1960s when Muslims realized that returning to mainland China would be unlikely and out of professional need, contact with Han Chinese became more frequent though there was still a considerable degree of interdependence within the ummah. In 1953, the
United Nations General Assembly The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA or GA; french: link=no, Assemblée générale, AG) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as the main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ of the UN. Curr ...
passed a resolution condemning the ROC government for its actions and guerrilla warfare inside Burma. Finally, an agreement was reached between Taipei,
Yangon Yangon ( my, ရန်ကုန်; ; ), formerly spelled as Rangoon, is the capital of the Yangon Region and the largest city of Myanmar (also known as Burma). Yangon served as the capital of Myanmar until 2006, when the military government ...
and
Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estima ...
for evacuation of all
Kuomintang The Kuomintang (KMT), also referred to as the Guomindang (GMD), the Nationalist Party of China (NPC) or the Chinese Nationalist Party (CNP), is a major political party in the Republic of China, initially on the Chinese mainland and in Tai ...
irregular forces under command of General Li Mi to Taiwan.
Civil Air Transport Civil Air Transport (CAT) was a Nationalist Chinese airline, later owned by the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), that supported United States covert operations throughout East and Southeast Asia. During the Cold War, missions consisted in ...
transported 5,583 Kuomintang soldiers and 1,040 dependents to Taiwan. The majority of these guerrilla forces were
Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
and had no place to worship in their new Taiwan home and so they started to construct the Longgang Mosque in
Zhongli Locations * Zhongli District (), Taoyuan, Taiwan * Zhongli Township (), Gangbei District, Guigang, Guangxi, China People * Zhongli Quan () * Zhongli Mo () Other uses * Zhongli (state) (), ancient state in China *" Growing Pears" (), a shor ...
in 1964 and was completed three years later in 1967. There are around 200 Muslim families living around this area with most of them belongs to Ma family clans. There are numerous Halal
Yunnan Yunnan , () is a landlocked Provinces of China, province in Southwest China, the southwest of the People's Republic of China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 48.3 million (as of 2018). The capital of the province is ...
, Burmese and
Thai Thai or THAI may refer to: * Of or from Thailand, a country in Southeast Asia ** Thai people, the dominant ethnic group of Thailand ** Thai language, a Tai-Kadai language spoken mainly in and around Thailand *** Thai script *** Thai (Unicode block ...
restaurants around the area as well. Around those periods, a few Muslim leaders held seats in the Legislative Yuan and
National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repre ...
. There were Muslims serving as ranking officers of the
armed forces A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
, notably
Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...
Ma Ching-chiang Ma Ching-chiang (Xiao'erjing: ) was a Chinese Muslim general of the Republic of China Army, who served in the 1970s. He served as Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Service Forces and an advisor of President Chiang Kai-shek Chiang ...
which once became one of the top advisers of
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Chiang Kai-shek Chiang Kai-shek (31 October 1887 – 5 April 1975), also known as Chiang Chung-cheng and Jiang Jieshi, was a Chinese Nationalist politician, revolutionary, and military leader who served as the leader of the Republic of China (ROC) from 1928 ...
. Muslims also held important posts in the diplomatic service, such as the ROC Ambassador to
Kuwait Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the nort ...
Wang Shi-ming.


Third wave of migration

Since the 1980s, thousands of Muslims from
Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...
and
Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
have migrated to Taiwan in search of a better life. They are descendants of
nationalist Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: The ...
soldiers that fled
Yunnan Yunnan , () is a landlocked Provinces of China, province in Southwest China, the southwest of the People's Republic of China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 48.3 million (as of 2018). The capital of the province is ...
when the communists took over mainland China. These people constituted to the third Muslim immigration in Taiwan. Many of them settle in Huaxin Street at
Zhonghe District Zhonghe District (, Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tiong-hô Khu), also spelled Chūwa and Jhonghe, is an inner city district in New Taipei City in northern Taiwan. Geography and climate Zhonghe lies just south-west of Taipei City and shares borders with Banqia ...
of
New Taipei New Taipei City is a Special municipality (Taiwan), special municipality located in northern Taiwan. The city is home to an estimated population of 3,974,683 as of 2022, making it the most populous city of Taiwan, and also the second largest s ...
,
Zhongli District Zhongli District () is a District (Taiwan), district in Taoyuan City, Taiwan. Zhongli is spelled variously as ''Jungli'', ''Jongli'', ''Jhongli'' or ''Chungli'' on railway stations, bus stops and road signs. Historically, the city is the site of t ...
of
Taoyuan City Taoyuan () is a special municipality (Taiwan), special municipality of the Taiwan, Republic of China (Taiwan) located in northwestern Taiwan, neighboring New Taipei City to the north-east, Yilan County, Taiwan, Yilan County to the south-e ...
and some other towns.


Fourth wave of migration

In 1989, Taiwan implemented a polity of allowing more migrant workers to fill up
blue-collar A blue-collar worker is a working class person who performs manual labor. Blue-collar work may involve skilled or unskilled labor. The type of work may involving manufacturing, warehousing, mining, excavation, electricity generation and powe ...
jobs in the growing industrial sectors, many of them come from Muslim-majority countries in South and Southeast Asia. The majority of Taiwanese Muslims today are relatively recent converts, mostly women, who have married mainlander Muslims. Today there are some 60,000 Taiwanese Muslims and a further 250,000
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
n Muslim workers and other Muslims from
Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
, the
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
,
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
,
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
and elsewhere, making the current total of over 310,000 Muslims living in Taiwan. The growing Muslim population in Taiwan from Indonesia can be seen in many industrial towns, such as the one in
Dayuan District Dayuan District (), formerly known as Dayuan Township () is a coastal district in northwestern Taoyuan City, Taiwan. History Dayuan District was originally named ''Toa-khu-hng'' (), literally means a vast (大) vegetable garden (坵園) as an o ...
,
Taoyuan City Taoyuan () is a special municipality (Taiwan), special municipality of the Taiwan, Republic of China (Taiwan) located in northwestern Taiwan, neighboring New Taipei City to the north-east, Yilan County, Taiwan, Yilan County to the south-e ...
where there are a growing number of Indonesian workers there, in which most of them are Muslim. An Indonesian worker married to a local Taiwanese man built the
At-Taqwa Mosque The At-Taqwa Mosque (; id, Masjid At-Taqwa) is a mosque in Dayuan District, Taoyuan City, Taiwan. It is the seventh mosque built in Taiwan. History The mosque development was started by an Indonesian-Taiwanese couple who own an Indonesian sho ...
, Taiwan's seventh mosque, which was opened on 9 June 2013. A group of
Indonesian Indonesian is anything of, from, or related to Indonesia, an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. It may refer to: * Indonesians, citizens of Indonesia ** Native Indonesians, diverse groups of local inhabitants of the archipelago ** Indonesian ...
fishermen working at a nearby port established Taiwan's eight mosque, the
Baitul Muslimin Mosque The Baitul Muslimin Mosque () is a mosque in Su'ao Township, Yilan County, Taiwan. It is the first mosque in Yilan County. History The mosque was established in 2014 when a group of fishermen from Indonesia working in the area were looking fo ...
in Su'ao Township, Yilan County in 2014 and Taiwan's ninth mosque, the
An-Nur Tongkang Mosque The An-Nur Tongkang Mosque () is a mosque in Donggang Township, Pingtung County, Taiwan. It is the eighth mosque built in Taiwan. It is also the first mosque in Pingtung County. History The mosque originally started inside a rented house at ...
in
Donggang Township Donggang Township or Tungkang Township () is an urban township in west-central Pingtung County, Taiwan. Located on Taiwan's western coastline, along the Taiwan Strait, it has one of Taiwan's largest fishing harbors. Dapeng Bay with its nation ...
,
Pingtung County Pingtung County is a county located in southern Taiwan. It has a warm tropical monsoon climate and is known for its agriculture and tourism. Kenting National Park, Taiwan's oldest national park, is located in the county. The county seat is Pin ...
which was completed in 2017 and opened on 18 February 2018. Taiwan's tenth and latest mosque, the Hualien Al-Falah Mosque, was built in
Hualien City Hualien City (; Wade-Giles: Hua¹-lien² Shih⁴; Hokkien POJ: ''Hoa-lian-chhī'' or ''Hoa-liân-chhī'') is a county-administered city and the county seat of Hualien County, Taiwan. It is located on the east coast of Taiwan on the Pacific Oce ...
,
Hualien County Hualien County (Mandarin Wade–Giles: Hua¹-lien² Hsien⁴; Pīnyīn: ''Huālián Xiàn''; Hokkien POJ: ''Hoa-lian-koān'' or ''Hoa-liân-koān''; Hakka PFS: ''Fâ-lièn-yen''; Amis: ''Kalingko'') is a county on the east coast of Taiwan. It ...
and inaugurated by former Indonesian Minister of Law and Human Rights
Mahfud MD Mohammad Mahfud Mahmodin (born 13 May 1957), commonly known as Mahfud MD, is an Indonesian politician and lawyer, who is currently serving as the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs of Indonesia. He is the first civi ...
on 18 March 2018.


Contemporary Islam


Government remarks

In April 2005,
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Chen Shui-bian Chen Shui-bian (; born 12 October 1950) is a retired Taiwanese politician and lawyer who served as the president of the Republic of China (Taiwan) from 2000 to 2008. Chen was the first president from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) whic ...
led a delegation from Taiwan to attend the
funeral of Pope John Paul II The funeral of Pope John Paul II was held on 8 April 2005, six days after his death on 2 April. The funeral was followed by the devotional in which the Catholic Church observes nine days of mourning. On 22 February 1996, Pope John Paul II ...
in
St. Peter's Basilica The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican ( it, Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano), or simply Saint Peter's Basilica ( la, Basilica Sancti Petri), is a church built in the Renaissance style located in Vatican City, the papal e ...
,
Vatican City Vatican City (), officially the Vatican City State ( it, Stato della Città del Vaticano; la, Status Civitatis Vaticanae),—' * german: Vatikanstadt, cf. '—' (in Austria: ') * pl, Miasto Watykańskie, cf. '—' * pt, Cidade do Vati ...
by a chartered
China Airlines China Airlines (CAL; ) is the state-owned flag carrier of the Republic of China (Taiwan), and one of its two major airlines along with EVA Air. It is headquartered in Taoyuan International Airport and operates over 1,400 flights weekly (inclu ...
flight. The delegation includes the
Minister of Foreign Affairs A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between cou ...
Mark Chen Mark Tang-shan/Tan-sun Chen (), born September 16, 1935, in Tainan Prefecture (now part of Tainan City), Taiwan, is a Taiwanese politician, former Secretary-General of the Office of the President of Taiwan under former President Chen Shui-bian. ...
and Taipei Grand Mosque Imam Ma Shiao-chi. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 16th General Assembly of the Regional Islamic Dawah Council of Southeast Asia and the Pacific (RISEAP) which was held in December 2015 in
Taipei Taipei (), officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about southwest of the n ...
, President Ma Ying-jeou said that the government is committed to promoting religious freedom, enhancing the understanding of Islam and to safeguards the minority Muslims in Taiwan to keep in line with the ROC constitutions.


Media and communication

The native language of Taiwanese Muslim is
Mandarin Mandarin or The Mandarin may refer to: Language * Mandarin Chinese, branch of Chinese originally spoken in northern parts of the country ** Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Mandarin, the official language of China ** Taiwanese Mandarin, Stand ...
, therefore
Quran The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Classical Arabic, Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation in Islam, revelation from God in Islam, ...
and
Hadith Ḥadīth ( or ; ar, حديث, , , , , , , literally "talk" or "discourse") or Athar ( ar, أثر, , literally "remnant"/"effect") refers to what the majority of Muslims believe to be a record of the words, actions, and the silent approval ...
have been translated from its original Arabic to Mandarin by Ma Jun and Chen Ke-li respectively. In March 1959, the first Quran translation in
Chinese language Chinese (, especially when referring to written Chinese) is a group of languages spoken natively by the ethnic Han Chinese majority and many minority ethnic groups in Greater China. About 1.3 billion people (or approximately 16% of the wor ...
which consists of 400,000 words was published in bookstores. It was the result of translation works made by a special translation board over seven years of work. The CMA used to sponsor a weekly radio program at the
Broadcasting Corporation of China The Broadcasting Corporation of China (BCC) is a broadcasting company in the Republic of China (also known as Taiwan). It was founded as the Central Broadcasting System in Nanjing in 1928. History The Central Broadcasting System is considere ...
through big transmitters beamed to Mainland China to keep the Muslims in the mainland informed about religious activities in Taiwan and Muslim countries around the globe. They also used native Arabic speakers for the broadcasting programs broadcast to other Muslim countries. The ''Islam in China'' is a quarterly Islamic magazine circulated in Taiwan with the aim of strengthening the contact between Taiwanese Muslims and the development of Islam in Taiwan. Around 2,000 copies of each issue are circulated throughout Taiwan and abroad. The magazine focuses on the Quran, Hadith,
Dawah Dawah ( ar, دعوة, lit=invitation, ) is the act of inviting or calling people to embrace Islam. The plural is ''da‘wāt'' (دَعْوات) or ''da‘awāt'' (دَعَوات). Etymology The English term ''Dawah'' derives from the Arabic ...
and news concerning Islam and Muslims in Taiwan. The other is ''Islamic Culture'' by the
Chinese Muslim Youth League The Chinese Muslim Youth League () or Chinese Islamic Youth Association is an organization of Chinese Muslims in the Republic of China. History Chinese Muslim Youth League was established with the name Chinese Muslim Youth Cultural Improveme ...
. There are other several Islamic publications in Taiwan which includes Islamic teachings. On 29 September 2020,
Chunghwa Post Chunghwa Post Co., Ltd. is the official postal service of Taiwan (officially the Republic of China). Chunghwa Post was a government agency of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications until 2003, when it was reorganized into a governm ...
released stamps featuring Taipei Grand Mosque and
Taichung Mosque The Taichung Mosque () is a mosque in Nantun District, Taichung, Taiwan. It is the fourth mosque to be built in Taiwan. History After fleeing Mainland China with the Nationalist Government at the end of Chinese Civil War in 1949, some Chinese ...
with denomination of NT$15 and NT$28 respectively.


Muslim employment regulations

In Taiwan, employers can also be fined if they force Muslim workers to come into contact with pork. In May 2010, wife of the owner of Shin Hua Hang Fashion Co. in
Taipei County New Taipei City is a special municipality located in northern Taiwan. The city is home to an estimated population of 3,974,683 as of 2022, making it the most populous city of Taiwan, and also the second largest special municipality by area, be ...
was charged for forcing her three Muslim Indonesian employees to eat
pork Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the domestic pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BCE. Pork is eaten both freshly cooked and preserved; ...
for seven months. She was sentenced to six months in prison for the act. The three workers wrote a letter to the labor department of the then- Taipei County Government asking for help. This incident triggered a protest from dozens of foreign workers at the
Bureau of Consular Affairs The Bureau of Consular Affairs (CA) is a bureau of the United States Department of State reporting to the under secretary of state for management. The mission of the Bureau is to administer laws, formulate regulations and implement policies rel ...
in Taipei, led by Taiwan International Workers’ Association (TIWA). This incident led to a condemnation from the Government of Indonesia. Ku Yu-ling, chairperson of TIWA, said that the root of the problem lies in the government repeatedly delaying including migrant caregivers under the Labor Standards Act to protect their basic working rights. This incident led to the creation of a television advertisement by the Ministry of Labor (Taiwan), Council of Labor Affairs showing respect for different religions and promotion of social harmony. The advertisement was welcomed by the
Chinese Muslim Association The Chinese Muslim Association (CMA) is an organization of Chinese Muslims in the Republic of China (Taiwan). A rival group, the Chinese Muslim Youth League competes with it in Taiwan. History In Mainland China The Chinese Muslim Associatio ...
. In May 2011 in Chiayi City, a couple was fined for doing that to an Indonesian worker, in addition to other offences such as a long workday and threats of deportation. The Indonesian worker firstly came to Taiwan being misled into thinking that she would take employment as elderly care taker. Currently, there are various Taiwanese Muslims working as civil servants, military personnel, engineers, doctors, lawyers and professors at higher learning institutes, trade and industry sectors. However, there are still no Muslim at the corporate ladders, and there is currently no representative at the Legislative Yuan. During the 2017 Eid al-Fitr, the Ministry of Labor (Taiwan), Ministry of Labor gave a statement encouraging employers to allow their Muslim workers to observe the festivity and to have a day off during that day. During 2018 Ramadan, the Department of Labor of Taipei City Government reminded employers who employ Muslim workers to accommodate their fasting and prayer rituals during the month.


Islamic food

Islamic dietary laws, Halal restaurants are widely available around Taiwan, although most of them are highly concentrated in Taipei, with some other restaurants in Taoyuan City, Taichung and Kaohsiung. As of November 2019, there are around 200 Halal restaurants altogether in Taiwan. The number continues to grow at a rate around 20% annually. Taiwan Halal Center was launched on 21 April 2017 in Taipei with the purpose of promoting halal-certified products, which also includes overseas branches to help Taiwanese companies to obtain the certification to export the products to countries with halal product demands. The headquarters of the center is located on the seventh floor of Taipei World Trade Center hall 1. One of Taiwan's halal certification body is the Taiwan Halal Integrity Development Association, inaugurated in May 2011 in Taipei, obtained the membership to a cross-border halal food certification program which is governed by the authorities from Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. The association is based in
Taipei Cultural Mosque The Taipei Cultural Mosque () is a mosque in Zhongzheng District, Taipei, Taiwan. The mosque is the third one to be built in Taiwan and it is owned by the Chinese Muslim Youth League. It also houses the Taiwan Halal Integrity Development Associ ...
. Another type of Halal certification, the 'Muslim Friendly Restaurant' certification, is handled by the Chinese Muslim Association (CMA). The purpose of the certification, except to certify the Halal-ness of the food, is to let the world knows that there are Muslims in Taiwan too. The certification guidelines specify method, source, items, dos and donts in hosting Muslim customers according to their customs in dining in restaurants. The methods specified by the certification guidelines may make the cost of hosting Muslim travelers more costly, but it helps to attract more Muslim tourist visitors to Taiwan. There are two halal type of certification for restaurants or food outlets in Taiwan, which are: * 'Halal Restaurant' for restaurants or food outlets owned by Muslims * 'Muslim Friendly Restaurant' for restaurants or food outlets owned by non-Muslims Taiwan-based halal food makers are Zheng Yee Food, Sunnano Biotech, Baeyuea Enterprise, Tiger Brand Cheng Tung Industrial, Affinity Food, Flavor Full Foods, Excellence Food Biochemical, Taiwan Smile Food, Jiou Long Jai Foodstuff, Ruhn Chan International and Tsan Yu Yen Foods. Some universities, such as National Taiwan University of Science and Technology and Yuanpei University of Medical Technology have set up cafeterias in their campuses serving halal foods for their students. In July 2011, the Shangri-La Leisure Farm resort in Yilan County received the Halal certification from CMA, becoming the first lodging place in Taiwan to receive such certification after three years of efforts with the help from the Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (Taiwan), Ministry of Transportation and Communications. Besides the certification, the resort also provides prayer spaces for Muslims and providing arrow pointing to Qibla on their rooms ceiling. Taiwan held its first Halal expo in 2013 at Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center called the ''2013 Taiwan International Halal Expo''. The halal goods offer innovative products that offer a special blend between halal foods with Taiwan characteristics. The expo was initiated by the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) by dedicating the previously Halal Section of Food Taipei Expo to become its very own expo. In March 2013, 16 restaurants around Taiwan were given halal certification, in a move to make Taiwan more attractive to Muslim tourists thereby expanding tourism in Taiwan. The certificates were issued by the Tourism Bureau in collaboration with CMA. The restaurants covered are in Taipei, New Taipei, Taoyuan City, Taichung, Tainan, Hualien and Taitung. These restaurants cover a wide variety of food, including Chinese, Taiwanese, Indian, Thai, Turkish and Egyptian cuisine. This move brings the total number of halal restaurants throughout Taiwan to 31. Liu Hsi-lin, deputy director-general of the bureau, said during the ceremony that people from different countries and different religions will have different needs. The key to develop Taiwan's tourism industry is to show respect for these diverse needs. He said that Taiwan is aiming at attracting Muslim tourists from Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. Thus the bureau, together with the CMA, try to help the local tourist industries cater to the needs of Muslim visitors. Also present at the ceremony is Salahuding Ma, secretary-general of CMA. According to TAITRA, in June 2013 there were almost 150 Taiwanese companies who have obtained Halal certification with another 130 are still in the certification process, thus creating small local Muslim industries. There are currently four slaughterhouses in Taiwan that provide halal meat, which are one in Taipei and three in Yunlin County, Yunlin. In June 2018, the Taipei City Government announced the introduction of vending machines that sell Halal-certified foods. The initial installation of the machines shall take place nearby universities and colleges with high number of Muslim students. The Liuhe Night Market in Sinsing District, Kaohsiung, Sinsing District,
Kaohsiung Kaohsiung City (Mandarin Chinese: ; Wade–Giles: ''Kao¹-hsiung²;'' Pinyin: ''Gāoxióng'') is a special municipality located in southern Taiwan. It ranges from the coastal urban center to the rural Yushan Range with an area of . Kaohsi ...
has begun selling halal foods at its stalls. In 2019, the government provided subsidies to a number of stalls of the night market to encourage them to apply for halal certifications from the International Muslim Tourism Industry Development Association.


Education

Due to the absence of any formal Islamic education in Taiwan as well as with other religions, the mosques hold some Islamic courses to the local Muslims such as Arabic, Arabic language,
Quran The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Classical Arabic, Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation in Islam, revelation from God in Islam, ...
and
Hadith Ḥadīth ( or ; ar, حديث, , , , , , , literally "talk" or "discourse") or Athar ( ar, أثر, , literally "remnant"/"effect") refers to what the majority of Muslims believe to be a record of the words, actions, and the silent approval ...
teaching and Sharia by request from the parents. Many of the courses are being run on weekends due to the busy work and study schedule of Taiwanese people during the weekdays. However, for the teaching of Arabic language, the course has been available at the National Chengchi University in
Taipei Taipei (), officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about southwest of the n ...
since 1957 under the Department of Arabic Language and Culture under the College of Foreign Language and Literature. Due to the growing importance of Arab world, Arab nations in the aspect of cultures, politics and economics of the world, the Government of the Republic of China, government authorized the Department of Arabic Language and Culture to be independent, making it equal to the Department of Oriental Languages and Cultures within the university. The department also has partner universities with the Kuwait University, University of Jordan and King Saud University. The department, in collaboration with the Center for the Study of Islamic Civilization and Thoughts, held an international conference entitled ''The Middle East and Islam'' on 15 May 2009 at the university with the theme ''Middle East and Islam in the 21st Century: Past, Present and Future''. The Chinese Muslim Association has also been sending Taiwanese Muslim students overseas to receive formal Islamic education. To further improve the effort in preserving the Islamic faith among the Muslims, the association has developed a plan to "educating secular educators" and that the Bureau of Education of the Taipei City Government has approve the proposal to hold Islamic courses for primary and secondary school teachers during summer vacations. They also provide authentic Islamic information to public school teachers to eliminate the Islamic stereotyping and misunderstanding.


Fasting

Muslims in Taiwan observe the Sawm, fasting during the Islamic month of Ramadan. In general, they face no problem regarding practicing the rituals in Taiwan. The only problem faced by them is to always have to reject politely any lunch invitation from their Taiwanese colleagues during the day. Local Taiwanese might wonder as well when some of their Muslim neighbors wake up really early in the morning to cook their suhur, meal eaten before they start their fast. Yunus A. Ma, imam of the Taipei Grand Mosque in September 2008, said that Ramadan is the opportunity for Taiwanese Muslims to think over their faith and deeds. The
Chinese Muslim Association The Chinese Muslim Association (CMA) is an organization of Chinese Muslims in the Republic of China (Taiwan). A rival group, the Chinese Muslim Youth League competes with it in Taiwan. History In Mainland China The Chinese Muslim Associatio ...
regularly distributes the schedule for fast, prayer and fast break during the fasting months. During the fasting month in 2016, the Taipei Grand Mosque made a request to employers or companies hiring Muslim workers to be more flexible and easy towards them so that they will be able to fully observe the fasting. Same remark was also conveyed by the Department of Labor of Taipei City Government for the fasting month in 2018 and by the Ministry of Labor (Taiwan), Ministry of Labor in 2020.


Zakat

Zakat is a compulsory charity in Islam but it does not always have to be in terms of financial means. Taiwanese Muslims from the Taipei Grand Mosque often visit foreign workers under detention in Sanxia District, Sanxia, Yunlin County, Yunlin and other detention centers for usually overstaying their work permit, employment visa. The Muslims help them with their paperwork and other needs. Other Taiwanese Muslims visit the elderly, ill and poor in the community.


Healthcare

In November 2018, Taiwan Adventist Hospital in Songshan District, Taipei, Songshan District,
Taipei Taipei (), officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about southwest of the n ...
was the first hospital in Taiwan to be certified Muslim-friendly. The certification was made by the Indonesian Ulema Council after their food, drugs and cosmetic products provided were certified Halal, as well as having a Muslim prayer room. Currently the Taipei City Government is also working with the hospital to expand the number of Muslim-friendly hospitals in the city. Various hospitals around the island have also established prayer rooms and halal dining options for the visitors.


Weddings

Most of the Taiwanese Muslim weddings are being held in Taipei Grand Mosque due to its large size, and also that 40% of Taiwanese Muslims, mostly as their relatives and friends, reside in Taipei. Generally Muslims in Taiwan keep the tradition of maintaining partner from the same faith or having to convert to Islam due to marriage.


Muslim festivities

The Eid al-Fitr Eid prayers, prayer and celebration in Taiwan draws much attention from local media. Special features of the event are regularly carried out in the newspapers and aired on televisions. These phenomena gives a boost to the Islamic activities in Taiwan. Speaking at Taipei Grand Mosque in December 2001 during Eid al-Fitr, Mayor of Taipei, Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou thanked the Indonesian workers for their contribution to Taiwan and gave them festive greeting. The mayor was spotted wearing Karakul (hat), Jinnah cap while greeting the workers and spoke a bit of Indonesian language. He cited that 20,000 among 36,000 foreign workers in Taipei were Indonesians, which had contributed much to the construction and household assistance of Taipei City. He also said that if all of those workers took the same day off, one-quarter of the city would be paralyzed. In August 2013, during the Muslims's grand festival Eid al-Fitr after the end of Ramadan, fasting month, the Taipei City Government opened two major venues in Taipei for people to gather and celebrate the festival, in which the majority of them are Indonesian blue-collar workers. Those two venues are at a square northwest of Taipei Main Station and the other is at Daan Forest Park. The reason to choose the park because the park is located just across the Taipei Grand Mosque. Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-pin made a remark urging Taiwanese to be more considerate to foreign workers, telling them that those workers have help to make Taipei a better city to live, thus Taiwanese should treat them like families. On 3 December 2014, the Foreign and Disabled Labor Office of the Taipei City Government held Eid al-Fitr celebrations at Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and 228 Peace Memorial Park. The office called for Taiwanese to respect different religions and religious practices, allowing Muslims to celebrate the conclusion of Ramadan fasting month. In June 2017,
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Tsai Ing-wen conveyed her Eid al-Fitr greeting to the Muslims in Taiwan. At the same time, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je visited Taipei Main Station to meet with many Muslim migrant workers who were celebrating the festive. The mayor thanked them and promised to increase the number of Halal restaurants in
Taipei Taipei (), officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about southwest of the n ...
. In June 2019, Eid al-Fitr was celebrated island-wide around Taiwan, including in Penghu. National Cheng Kung University set up a temporary space at its old library to accommodate people for the Eid prayers, Eid prayer. In 2020, Eid al-Fitr celebration was cancelled for the very first time at the Taipei Grand Mosque and its surroundings due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan. Nevertheless, President Tsai Ing-wen conveyed her greeting to the Muslim communities wishing them safety in enjoying and celebrating the festival, and also wishing the COVID-19 pandemic will subside soon from around the world, including in Muslim countries. For the 2020 Eid al-Adha festive on 31 July, people performed the Eid prayer at the plaza outside Taipei Main Station. The prayer was divided into three session to minimize the number of worshippers at one particular time. In 2021, Eid al-Fitr celebration which was scheduled to be celebrated at Taipei Main Station was also cancelled for the second time due to the ongoing pandemic despite having a green light initially.


Innovations

Various Islam-related mobile applications have been developed in Taiwan or by Taiwanese, such as apps for prayer times.


Hajj pilgrimage

The
Republic of China Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northeast ...
sent their first Hajj delegation to perform the ritual in 1925. After the end of Chinese Civil War in 1949, the ROC continued back sending hajj delegates in 1954. In the early years, Hajj delegation from Taiwan was led by Ma Bufang. Nowadays, around 40–50% of Taiwanese Muslims will make their Hajj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia at some stage of their life, although not every Muslim there has the ability to perform such duty. During the 2000 Hajj pilgrimage, Taiwan sent a total of 22 Muslims on 21 February 2000 to begin their pilgrim. However, another 32 people departed on 10 March 2000 at the invitation of Fahd of Saudi Arabia, King Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. During the 2005 Hajj pilgrimage, Taiwan sent 27 members of the delegation to perform the ritual consisting of 13 men and 14 women. The delegation was led by Dawood Ma, director of
Chinese Muslim Association The Chinese Muslim Association (CMA) is an organization of Chinese Muslims in the Republic of China (Taiwan). A rival group, the Chinese Muslim Youth League competes with it in Taiwan. History In Mainland China The Chinese Muslim Associatio ...
(CMA). He said that priority for the delegation was given to those who was going to make the journey for the first time. The selection process was done seven months before the pilgrim season. All of the selected pilgrims were given orientation in the rituals, laws of Saudi Arabia, Arabic lifestyle and Arabic language. He acknowledged the 26-day of the ritual was difficult for young Taiwanese to embark because they were all busy with their work. On 9 February 2006, President Chen met with Taiwanese Muslims who had just come back from Saudi Arabia for performing the Hajj pilgrimage in January 2006. He said that Taiwan needs to have some of the Islamic spirit of standing in awe of the supreme God, upholding peace and justice, helping the weak and poor, promoting social stability, being content with what one is and working hard. The President urged Taiwanese Muslims to introduce the doctrine and spirit of Islam to their compatriots to enhance exchanges between the Muslim societies and other sectors in Taiwan. He also expressed government's concern for the Islamic development to promote religious harmony and added that the government always pays great attention to religious development and encourages all religions in Taiwan to communicate with one another to promote mutual tolerance and respect and to serve as a driving force for stability, peace and prosperity. He stressed that any minority religion in Taiwan is respected and enjoys full protection under the law. On 23 January 2007, President Chen met again with Taiwanese Muslims who had just come back from Hajj in December 2006. The President congratulated the pilgrims for successfully completing the journey and praised the
Chinese Muslim Association The Chinese Muslim Association (CMA) is an organization of Chinese Muslims in the Republic of China (Taiwan). A rival group, the Chinese Muslim Youth League competes with it in Taiwan. History In Mainland China The Chinese Muslim Associatio ...
(CMA) as an important asset of Taiwan, saying that the association has successfully promoted the frequent contacts and exchanges between Taiwan and the Muslim worlds, and serves as the communication window for Taiwan to those nations. He said that Islam is the current fastest growing religion in the world and has a major role and contribution to the people and civilization. The core value of Islam is that there is only one God, people should do good deeds and people should love their fellow men and citizens. He personally believes that Taiwanese Muslims must emphasize the principle of Islam that stresses peace and love in order to enable others to understand the true nature of Islam. He further added that in recent years, Taiwan has made significant progress in expanding affairs with the Muslim world, creating a win-win situation for all parties involved and also triggering more interest in Islam among Taiwanese people. Although there are only around 60,000 Taiwanese Muslims, this community has made Taiwan becomes more diverse and richer in culture. He assured to the local Muslims that the Muslim people in Taiwan will always enjoy religious freedom and that the government will pay close attention to any raising needs to the group. He also hoped that Taiwanese Muslims will participate in Islamic-related international affairs and play even more role in helping Taiwan solidifies itself with the Islamic nations. On 6 December 2011, Vice President of the Republic of China, Vice President Vincent Siew commended members of Taiwanese Muslim delegates for completing their 2011 Hajj pilgrimage in November 2011. The delegation was headed by Chu Yun-ching, former chairperson of CMA. In his remark, Siew said that Islam is one of the most influential religion in the world with 1.7 billion of followers. Its main principle is respecting God, helping the poor, doing good, preventing evil and practicing respect and tolerance. All of these teachings have made indelible contributions to civilizations. According to Siew, Faisal of Saudi Arabia, King Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia had reassured the oil supply to Taiwan during the 1973 oil crisis. Saudi Arabia also has helped Taiwan in providing interest-free loans to help Taiwan complete its Ten Major Construction Projects during the 1970s. Finally he said that the caring and peace-loving spirit of Islam is an important asset for all people, and that the Taiwanese should not forget their deep friendship with the Muslim world. During the 2012 Hajj pilgrimage, Taiwanese adviser to CMA, Ibrahim Chao, called for the foreign Hajj mission to educate the pilgrims about Hajj matters before their arrival in Saudi Arabia because one-third of them are not accustomed to modern facilities in the kingdom. Chao also urged Muslims all over the world to get united. He led the 33-member of Hajj delegation from Taiwan. Before releasing a delegation for the 2013 Hajj pilgrimage at the Presidential Office Building (Republic of China), Presidential Office Building, President Ma Ying-jeou said that Islam has enriched Taiwan's cultural diversity despite being a minority religion. Ma also added that Islam is one of the world's most influential religion, in which it uploads peace and justice, helps and aids the poor and love the people and all things. After suspending the operation of Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Jeddah on 27 July 2017, Taiwan deploys the personnel from Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh to assist Taiwanese pilgrims. Upon receiving and congratulating the 2017 hajj pilgrims back to Taiwan, President Tsai Ing-wen stated that Muslim community is a major partner of Taiwan and part of the New Southbound Policy during a meeting with CMA. Tsai said that she hoped to build a more Muslim-friendly Taiwan. In 2018, there were 37 Hajj pilgrims from Taiwan. Upon receiving the returning Taiwanese from the pilgrimage,
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Tsai Ing-wen said to the group for them to foster closer ties with the Muslim world for the sake of mutual benefit and assistance. President Tsai welcomed them with an Arabic greeting and praised Islam for being one of the most influential religion in the world that emphasizes peace, justice and the obligation to help the poor. In September 2019 while receiving representatives from CMA as part of the Hajj's delegation at the Presidential Office Building, President Tsai said that the government would continue working to build a welcoming environment for the Muslims, emphasizing that promoting understanding regarding the New Southbound Policy countries' cultures and customs is important for expanding bilateral relations.


Conversion

Some of the Taiwanese who converted to Islam is because of the condition for their marriage to Muslim. Some other reported that they are attracted to the faith through contact with Muslim leaders or general reading. Both Chinese Muslim Association and Chinese Muslim Youth League put literature for those who are curious about the religion and the organizations are welcome to those who are curious about the Islamic faith. Islamic conversion rate in Taiwan is relatively low since most of the Taiwanese Muslims in general do not actively preach their religion as do believers of other religions. The growth of Muslim number among Taiwanese Muslims are mostly because of natural population growth. Annually, Taipei Grand Mosque reports an estimated 100 converts at their mosque and
Taipei Cultural Mosque The Taipei Cultural Mosque () is a mosque in Zhongzheng District, Taipei, Taiwan. The mosque is the third one to be built in Taiwan and it is owned by the Chinese Muslim Youth League. It also houses the Taiwan Halal Integrity Development Associ ...
reports 50 converts at their mosque.


Muslim cemetery

According to the Islamic law, Muslims need to be buried within maximum of 72 hours after the death. This poses a challenge since the general Chinese burial in Taiwan often takes weeks or months after the person has died. No cremation is used and the dead is buried in the ground. Burial at the sea is permitted if land cannot be reached within 72 hours. Ali Ma Ju-hu, the then-President of Chinese Muslim Association in 2006, had a discussion with the World Assembly of Muslim Youth in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on the possibility of finding help in funding burial ground for Muslims in Taipei since the land is very expensive.


Taipei

Speaking at the Muslim Cemetery () in Liuzhangli area of Taipei's Xinyi District, Taipei, Xinyi District on 7 March 2013 where the tomb of late Nationalist government, Nationalist General
Bai Chongxi Bai Chongxi (18 March 1893 – 2 December 1966; , , Xiao'erjing: ) was a Chinese general in the National Revolutionary Army of the Republic of China (ROC) and a prominent Chinese Nationalist leader. He was of Hui ethnicity and of the Musli ...
is located, Mayor of Taipei, Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-pin said that Bai's tomb will form the basis for a Muslim cultural area and Taiwan historical park in Taipei City. Hau made the remark during the late General's 120th birthday anniversary. Bai's tomb was built in the 1960s and was designated as historical monument by the Taipei City Government in 2012. His graveyard is also called the 'Graveyard of the White Banyan Tree Hall'. His tomb incorporates elements of a Mosque#Domes, mosque dome, Mosque#Minarets, minarets, prayer tower and inscriptions by politicians and other historic figures. Lies next to his tomb is the tomb of his wife, and also grave plots prepared for his 10 children, in which 3 has been taken. Whether one of his sons, Pai Hsien-yung, and his other chrildren will one day return from United States to Taiwan remains to be seen. The cemetery is the largest Muslim cemetery in Taiwan in which over 2,000 Taiwanese Muslims are buried at the site. In this Muslim Cemetery complex also lies the tomb of Yulbars Khan.


Kaohsiung

Kaohsiung Kaohsiung City (Mandarin Chinese: ; Wade–Giles: ''Kao¹-hsiung²;'' Pinyin: ''Gāoxióng'') is a special municipality located in southern Taiwan. It ranges from the coastal urban center to the rural Yushan Range with an area of . Kaohsi ...
used to house the Muslim cemetery called the Kaohsiung Muslim Cemetery () within the Fudingjin Cemetery () at Dingjin 1st Lane in Sanmin District. In October 2017, works on the new Muslim cemetery in Shanlin District, named Guizhen Park () started and completed on 2 April 2018. Occupants from the Kaohsiung Muslim Cemetery were moved to the new cemetery and was completed on 28 March 2018. The relocation move faced objection initially from the Chinese Muslim Association, stating that the relocation plan did not follow the Muslim principles. After two public hearings with the local Muslim communities, the association then could accept the plan. Kaohsiung City Government exhumed the old grave and moved the remains to the new site. It also sent a delegation to Malaysia to learn Muslim cemetery relocation. The new cemetery spans over an area of 1,840 m2 and costs around NT$60 million.


Tainan

Tainan Tainan (), officially Tainan City, is a Special municipality (Taiwan), special municipality in southern Taiwan facing the Taiwan Strait on its western coast. Tainan is the oldest city on the island and also commonly known as the "Capital City" ...
is also planning to create cemeteries for the Muslims.


Tourism for Muslims

Since 2011, Taiwan has been working hard to capture the growing market of Muslim travelers, such as providing more and more Muslim-friendly restaurants and hotels, including facilities such as signs pointing to the direction of Kaaba for prayer, and shooting promotional movies. The majority of Muslim travelers to Taiwan come from Northwest China and Southeast Asian countries, especially Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and Brunei. Tourism Bureau reported 200,000 visitors from Muslim-majority countries came to Taiwan in 2015. In 2016, Taiwan included new six Middle East countries into their e-visa program to boost more tourist arrivals from Muslim countries. In 2012, the Kuala Lumpur Office of the Taiwan Visitor Association distributed 20,000 free copies of the ''Traveling in Taiwan for Muslims'' guide book which list down all of the mosques and Halal eateries, as well as Muslim-friendly tourist attractions and accommodation in the island. Tony Wu, director of the Kuala Lumpur Office, said that Taiwan has more than 100 Halal restaurants and that his office plan to raise the annual Malaysian visitors to Taiwan from 350,000 to 400,000. In September 2014, Taiwan took part in promoting its 51 Muslim-friendly restaurants and hotels as well as its 13 scenic areas which have Musalla, Muslim prayer rooms during the MATTA Fair in Malaysia in a bid to attract Malaysian visitors. In 2015, Taiwan was ranked top 10 non-Muslim tourist destination among Muslim travelers by the Global Muslim Travel Index due to its safe travel environment, airport services and Muslim travelers needs awareness and reach out. And in 2019, the island was listed as the third Muslim-friendly destination for non-Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) countries. In 2021, it achieved the second position along with the United Kingdom. At the Halal in Travel Award 2022, Taiwan was recognized as the ''Inclusive Destination of the Year'' among non-IOC countries. Three most popular tourist destinations among Muslim travelers in Taipei are Ximending, Taipei 101 and Dadaocheng. The religion of Islam is well-represented at the collections at Museum of World Religions in Yonghe District,
New Taipei New Taipei City is a Special municipality (Taiwan), special municipality located in northern Taiwan. The city is home to an estimated population of 3,974,683 as of 2022, making it the most populous city of Taiwan, and also the second largest s ...
. The observatory deck on the 89th floor of Taipei 101 includes the direction of Mecca.


Muslim-related events

In 2001, the World Assembly of Muslim Youth with cooperation with CMA held the Summer Muslim Youth Camp to let Muslim brothers know each other and young Muslims to know more about Islam in a non-Muslim society. In 2004, an international seminar on Islam was held in
Taipei Taipei (), officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about southwest of the n ...
where Muslim scholars presented their papers on Islamic issues such as religion, economy, politics and culture. The seminar also provided the local Muslims an opportunity to understand those important issues around the world. In August 2013,
New Taipei New Taipei City is a Special municipality (Taiwan), special municipality located in northern Taiwan. The city is home to an estimated population of 3,974,683 as of 2022, making it the most populous city of Taiwan, and also the second largest s ...
organized the ''Islam Culture Week'' to enhance residents' understanding of Islam due to the lack of the familiarity with the religion and culture. The festival, held at the New Taipei City Hall, featured the Islamic handicraft, cuisine and other cultural elements. New Taipei itself is home to around 30,000 Muslims, making it one of the biggest city in Taiwan in terms of Muslim population. The secretary-general of
Chinese Muslim Association The Chinese Muslim Association (CMA) is an organization of Chinese Muslims in the Republic of China (Taiwan). A rival group, the Chinese Muslim Youth League competes with it in Taiwan. History In Mainland China The Chinese Muslim Associatio ...
(CMA) added that Taiwan could benefit a lot by understanding Islam, such as it will make things easier for Taiwan to do export and import trading with the growing Muslim countries, as well as attracting more visitors from various Islamic countries. In January–September 2014, National Taiwan Museum held an exhibition showing the cultural and religious objects from the Muslim world, Islamic world entitled ''The Exhibition of Islamic Life and Culture'' (). The exhibition displayed more than 200 items, featuring
Quran The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Classical Arabic, Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation in Islam, revelation from God in Islam, ...
manuscripts, Islamic clothing, Muslim clothes, Taqiyah (cap), caps, Misbaha, prayer beads, Prayer rug, mats, incense burners, tapestries etc. The exhibition was organized by the museum
Taiwan Association of Islamic Studies
and National Chengchi University (NCCU). NCCU President Wu Se-hwa expressed that the exhibition would help Taiwanese people gain a better understanding of Islamic culture and lead to further exchanges between the two sides. In conjunction with the main exhibition, the organizers also hold some spin-off events, such as Halal food fair, Muslim music concert, Islamic calligraphy demonstrations and tour to Taipei Grand Mosque. A two-day event of international symposium addressing contemporary challenges facing Muslim minorities was held in Taipei on 13–14 April 2015. Organized by Muslim World League, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Taiwan), Ministry of Foreign Affairs and several non-governmental organizations, the event was attended by participants from more than 20 countries and territories. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Minister of Foreign Affairs (Republic of China), Foreign Affairs Minister David Lin said that the symposium represents a confidence by the world Muslim community in the promotion of religious equality by the government. Lin also added that Taiwan has helped the conflicts happening in parts of Iraq and Syria by aiding more than US$8.25 million in assistance, including 350 prefabricated shelters to refugees. The 16th General Assembly of the Regional Islamic Dawah Council of Southeast Asia and the Pacific (RISEAP) was held in December 2015 in Taipei, the first time in Taiwan. The annual assembly was attended by 80 religious leaders and scholars from 23 countries and territories in the region. In 2017, the ''Islamic Cultural Fair'' was held at Daan Forest Park in Da'an District, Taipei. The event was jointly organized by CMA and the Department of Information and Tourism of Taipei City Government. It featured 60 vendor booths promoting Muslim cultures in Taiwan. It was held in conjunction with the 80th anniversary of CMA. On 29 March 2017, the Tourism Bureau of Tainan City Government organized a seminar in West Central District,
Tainan Tainan (), officially Tainan City, is a Special municipality (Taiwan), special municipality in southern Taiwan facing the Taiwan Strait on its western coast. Tainan is the oldest city on the island and also commonly known as the "Capital City" ...
on providing Muslim-friendly accommodations. The aim was to encourage the local hotels to provide Muslim-friendly facilities and Halal-certified meals in their premises, which in turn would transform Tainan into a Muslim-friendly city and attract more Muslim visitors. The National Cheng Kung University organized the ''NCKU World Islam Campus Summit 2018'' () at their campus on 6–7 June 2018 at their Tainan campus. The summit involved experts from academics, literary, art and business sectors, who shared their experience in addressing issues related to Islam and ways to create a better environment for Muslims in Taiwan. The summit was also attended by acting Mayor of Tainan, Tainan Mayor Li Meng-yen. Mayor Li made a statement that his government aim to make Tainan become a Muslim-friendly city. During the 2019 ''Food Taipei'' which was held on 19–22 June at Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center in Nangang District, Taipei, Nangang District, Taipei, Halal Taiwan pavilion took part in the exhibition, showcasing various booths on foods, beverages and wellness products made accordance to the Islamic law. On 28–29 December 2019, an open-air festival at Daan Forest Park in Da'an District, Taipei was held with the name ''Islamic Cultural and Halal Food Festival''. There were around 70 vendors offering various Islamic food, crafts and cultural experiences to the public. The event was co-organized by the Chinese Muslim Association and Taipei City Government. On 9–18 April 2021, an event named the ''Islamic Cultural Exhibition'' was held at the Wen-hua Gallery and Culture Corridors of Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall (Taipei), Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in Taipei. The exhibition consisted of Arabic calligraphy, Islamic artifacts, Islamic architectures and the development of Islam in Taiwan.


Retails

Fashion retail Uniqlo began to sell hijab since summer 2016 at their Taiwan stores. There are also a growing number of other shops selling Muslim fashion clothes.


Social challenges

Islam is generally perceived to be alien to traditional Chinese culture by the general Taiwanese population despite the fact that Taiwan is a society with freedom of religion and high tolerance. Generally there are no negative perceptions of Islam in Taiwan; additionally, Muslims in Taiwan enjoy complete freedom. Practicing the Five Pillars of Islam, especially the Salah, prayer, is difficult in the fast-paced Taiwanese working and living environment. Many Muslims cannot attend the Jumu'ah, Friday prayer in the
mosque A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...
s, due to fact that weekend holidays in Taiwan fall on Saturdays and Sundays. Therefore, this means that many Muslims miss out on teachings by the imams, elders or international scholars held in association with the Khutbah, sermon of the Friday prayer. Many younger generations also prefer to spend their limited leisure time in places like karaoke, bars, nightclubs and cafes due to the lack of interest and the perception that there is little to gain from religion when success in Chinese culture is defined by wealth and status. Practicing strict Islamic dietary laws is another problem due to the fact that Taiwan does not have many widely available Halal restaurants or dining places. However, the growing presence of Muslim Indonesian workers in Taiwan has helped to establish more Halal restaurants serving Indonesian cuisine around Taiwan. Muslims serving in the Republic of China Armed Forces, Armed Forces are generally given separate utensils and supplied with fish, in which they will cook for themselves. The highly competitive environment in Taiwanese schools makes it difficult for parents to persuade their children to spend extra time outside of their school subjects to study the Arabic language or
Quran The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Classical Arabic, Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation in Islam, revelation from God in Islam, ...
. The extremely low number of Taiwanese Muslims leads to Muslims in isolated areas marrying non-Muslims or converts who are unfamiliar with the Islamic religion and cultures. Elderly Taiwanese Muslims speak out their fear that one day Islam in Taiwan might one day just be a historical fact, repeating the process that happened in Lukang, Changhua. On 2 October 2016, Mayor of Taipei, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je made a remark that the Taipei City Government should allocate a budget for the construction of a larger mosque in Taipei which is near to Taipei Metro station because overcrowding at Taipei Grand Mosque has become a continuous problem. In August 2021, Vice President of the Republic of China, Vice President Lai Ching-te, William Lai and Pan-Green Coalition were mocked in PTT Bulletin Board System by using mistranslated references to some Islamic terminologies. The incident was decried by the Islamic Association of Taiwan in their statement.


Islam-related organizations


Chinese Muslim Association

The Chinese Muslim Association (CMA; ) is an organization of
Chinese Muslims Islam has been practiced in China since the 7th century CE.. Muslims are a minority group in China, representing 1.6-2 percent of the total population (21,667,000- 28,210,795) according to various estimates. Though Hui Muslims are the most numero ...
in Taiwan. It was founded in 1938 in Mainland China and it runs the
Taipei Grand Mosque The Taipei Grand Mosque () or Taipei Zheng He Mosque () is the largest and oldest mosque in Taiwan. Located in the Da'an District of Taipei City, it is Taiwan's most important Islamic structure. History First building After the handover o ...
.
Bai Chongxi Bai Chongxi (18 March 1893 – 2 December 1966; , , Xiao'erjing: ) was a Chinese general in the National Revolutionary Army of the Republic of China (ROC) and a prominent Chinese Nationalist leader. He was of Hui ethnicity and of the Musli ...
was the first chairperson of the association.


Islamic Circle of Taiwan

The Islamic Circle of Taiwan (ICT; ) is a Muslim organization based in East District, Hsinchu, East District, Hsinchu, Hsinchu City. It was inaugurated on 8 August 2020 by the Ministry of the Interior (Taiwan), Ministry of the Interior. It runs the Hsinchu Islamic Center in the city and other parts of Taiwan by providing Islamic education to adults and children.


Islamic Association of Taiwan

The Islamic Association of Taiwan (IAT; is a Muslim organization in Taiwan. It was founded on 10 January 2016. It is based in
Hualien City Hualien City (; Wade-Giles: Hua¹-lien² Shih⁴; Hokkien POJ: ''Hoa-lian-chhī'' or ''Hoa-liân-chhī'') is a county-administered city and the county seat of Hualien County, Taiwan. It is located on the east coast of Taiwan on the Pacific Oce ...
,
Hualien County Hualien County (Mandarin Wade–Giles: Hua¹-lien² Hsien⁴; Pīnyīn: ''Huālián Xiàn''; Hokkien POJ: ''Hoa-lian-koān'' or ''Hoa-liân-koān''; Hakka PFS: ''Fâ-lièn-yen''; Amis: ''Kalingko'') is a county on the east coast of Taiwan. It ...
.


Chinese Muslim Youth League

The Chinese Muslim Youth League () is an organization of Chinese Muslims in Taiwan. It was founded in the early 1930s and it runs the
Taipei Cultural Mosque The Taipei Cultural Mosque () is a mosque in Zhongzheng District, Taipei, Taiwan. The mosque is the third one to be built in Taiwan and it is owned by the Chinese Muslim Youth League. It also houses the Taiwan Halal Integrity Development Associ ...
. As a rival group, the Chinese Muslim Association competes with it in Taiwan.


Chinese Islamic Cultural and Educational Foundation

The Chinese Islamic Cultural and Educational Foundation () is the first cultural foundation for Islamic education in Taiwan. It was established in 1976 by brothers Chang Zixuan () and Chang Zichun (). It is based at Taipei Grand Mosque.


Taiwan Muslim Association

The Taiwan Muslim Association (TMA; ) is a Muslim organization in Taiwan. It was founded on 24 April 2016. It is based at
At-Taqwa Mosque The At-Taqwa Mosque (; id, Masjid At-Taqwa) is a mosque in Dayuan District, Taoyuan City, Taiwan. It is the seventh mosque built in Taiwan. History The mosque development was started by an Indonesian-Taiwanese couple who own an Indonesian sho ...
.


Taiwan Halal Integrity Development Association

The Taiwan Halal Integrity Development Association (THIDA; ) was inaugurated on 7 May 2011 in Taipei as the body to give the Halal certification to Taiwanese food products. It is based at Taipei Cultural Mosque.


Indonesian Muslim Family in Taiwan

The Indonesian Muslim Family in Taiwan (KMIT; id, Keluarga Muslim Indonesia di Taiwan, ) is the umbrella organization that leads all of the Indonesian Muslim associations in Taiwan. It was inaugurated in on 2 December 2007 at the Taipei Cultural Mosque in
Taipei Taipei (), officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about southwest of the n ...
. Associations under the KMIT are MTYT Taipei, FOSMIT Zhongli, IMIT Taichung, Kitas Taya Taichung, Imdat, MTYCIT Chiayi, FKKBWIT Tainan, IWAMIT Kaohsiung, MTNIH Hualien, PPIH Hualien and FORMMIT.


Nahdatul Ulama

The main branch of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) for Taiwan was established in 2007. It has local branches in Changhua, Donggang, Douliu, Magong, Taichung and Taipei. In 2013, the women's youth league of the NU named Fatayah NU was established.


University Muslim student communities


Chung Hua University

The Chung Hua University in Hsinchu, Hsinchu City houses a Muslim student club called the Islam and Culture Association (ICA). The club was founded on 6 January 2010. It aims to gather Muslim students in Chung Hua University and introduce about Islam and the culture to Taiwanese friends in the campus and Taiwan. The club is also a place to introduce the home culture of their members to Taiwanese friends.


National Cheng Kung University

The National Cheng Kung University in
Tainan Tainan (), officially Tainan City, is a Special municipality (Taiwan), special municipality in southern Taiwan facing the Taiwan Strait on its western coast. Tainan is the oldest city on the island and also commonly known as the "Capital City" ...
houses a Muslim student club called the International Muslim Students Association (IMSA). The club was founded on 15 November 2012 with the mission of providing information about Islam and Muslim daily life.


National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University

The National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University in Hsinchu City houses a Muslim student club called the Muslim Students Club in Hsinchu (HMSC). The club was established to enable the Muslim students from diverse cultures to get together, share their ideas, carry out various activities and welcome new members. They teach weekly Arabic and Islamic studies to the people.


National Sun Yat-sen University

The National Sun Yat-sen University in Kaohsiung have a Muslim student association called Muslim Students Association NSYSU (MSA NSYSU) was established in 2017. This community was founded to allow Muslim students from different cultures to hold joint worship, Islamic agenda, exchange ideas, and social activities.


National Taiwan University of Science and Technology

The National Taiwan University of Science and Technology in
Taipei Taipei (), officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about southwest of the n ...
houses a Muslim student club called the International Muslim Student Association (IMSA). Due to the fact that the university houses one of the highest Muslim students in Taiwan, the growing Muslim students felt that they need to have a community that can provide basic Islamic and social interactions between Muslim students. Audit was done by the university since 5 May 2012 and the club was established on 22 May 2012. Even before the establishment of the club, Muslim students in the university had already organized Islamic-related event called the ''International Muslim Culture Exhibition'' in November 2011 which features the Islamic science and technology, Islamic food and beverages, Muslim annual events, Muslim history in Taiwan, woman in Islam and Muslim daily life. The purpose of this event was to introduce the unique cultures of Muslim and increase the understanding among different cultures to create peace and harmony. The event was then continued to be held annually by the club.


Yuan Ze University

The Yuan Ze University in
Zhongli District Zhongli District () is a District (Taiwan), district in Taoyuan City, Taiwan. Zhongli is spelled variously as ''Jungli'', ''Jongli'', ''Jhongli'' or ''Chungli'' on railway stations, bus stops and road signs. Historically, the city is the site of t ...
,
Taoyuan City Taoyuan () is a special municipality (Taiwan), special municipality of the Taiwan, Republic of China (Taiwan) located in northwestern Taiwan, neighboring New Taipei City to the north-east, Yilan County, Taiwan, Yilan County to the south-e ...
houses a Muslim student club called the Yuan Ze University–Muslim Student Association (YZU-MSA). The association held an event entitled ''Islamic Culture and Exhibition'' in May 2014 and May 2015.


Mosques and prayer rooms

As of 2018, there are eleven mosques in Taiwan. Currently the Taipei City Government plans to build the third one in
Taipei Taipei (), officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about southwest of the n ...
in collaboration with the Government of Turkey. Based on the sequence of their publicized establishment date, they are: *
Taipei Grand Mosque The Taipei Grand Mosque () or Taipei Zheng He Mosque () is the largest and oldest mosque in Taiwan. Located in the Da'an District of Taipei City, it is Taiwan's most important Islamic structure. History First building After the handover o ...
in Daan District, Taipei, Da'an, Taipei, managed by Chinese Muslim Association *
Kaohsiung Mosque The Kaohsiung Mosque () is a mosque in Lingya District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. It is the second mosque to be built in Taiwan after Taipei Grand Mosque in Taipei. History First building Kaohsiung Mosque was built in 1949 in Taiwan by Muslim nation ...
in Lingya District, Lingya,
Kaohsiung Kaohsiung City (Mandarin Chinese: ; Wade–Giles: ''Kao¹-hsiung²;'' Pinyin: ''Gāoxióng'') is a special municipality located in southern Taiwan. It ranges from the coastal urban center to the rural Yushan Range with an area of . Kaohsi ...
*
Taipei Cultural Mosque The Taipei Cultural Mosque () is a mosque in Zhongzheng District, Taipei, Taiwan. The mosque is the third one to be built in Taiwan and it is owned by the Chinese Muslim Youth League. It also houses the Taiwan Halal Integrity Development Associ ...
in Zhongzheng District, Zhongzheng, Taipei, managed by Chinese Muslim Youth League *
Taichung Mosque The Taichung Mosque () is a mosque in Nantun District, Taichung, Taiwan. It is the fourth mosque to be built in Taiwan. History After fleeing Mainland China with the Nationalist Government at the end of Chinese Civil War in 1949, some Chinese ...
in Nantun District, Nantun,
Taichung Taichung (, Wade–Giles: ''Tʻai²-chung¹'', pinyin: ''Táizhōng''), officially Taichung City, is a special municipality located in central Taiwan. Taichung has approximately 2.8 million residents and is the second most populous city of Taiw ...
* Longgang Mosque in
Zhongli Locations * Zhongli District (), Taoyuan, Taiwan * Zhongli Township (), Gangbei District, Guigang, Guangxi, China People * Zhongli Quan () * Zhongli Mo () Other uses * Zhongli (state) (), ancient state in China *" Growing Pears" (), a shor ...
,
Taoyuan City Taoyuan () is a special municipality (Taiwan), special municipality of the Taiwan, Republic of China (Taiwan) located in northwestern Taiwan, neighboring New Taipei City to the north-east, Yilan County, Taiwan, Yilan County to the south-e ...
* Tainan Mosque in East District, Tainan, East,
Tainan Tainan (), officially Tainan City, is a Special municipality (Taiwan), special municipality in southern Taiwan facing the Taiwan Strait on its western coast. Tainan is the oldest city on the island and also commonly known as the "Capital City" ...
*
At-Taqwa Mosque The At-Taqwa Mosque (; id, Masjid At-Taqwa) is a mosque in Dayuan District, Taoyuan City, Taiwan. It is the seventh mosque built in Taiwan. History The mosque development was started by an Indonesian-Taiwanese couple who own an Indonesian sho ...
in Dayuan District, Dayuan, Taoyuan City *
Baitul Muslimin Mosque The Baitul Muslimin Mosque () is a mosque in Su'ao Township, Yilan County, Taiwan. It is the first mosque in Yilan County. History The mosque was established in 2014 when a group of fishermen from Indonesia working in the area were looking fo ...
in Su'ao, Yilan County *
An-Nur Tongkang Mosque The An-Nur Tongkang Mosque () is a mosque in Donggang Township, Pingtung County, Taiwan. It is the eighth mosque built in Taiwan. It is also the first mosque in Pingtung County. History The mosque originally started inside a rented house at ...
in Donggang, Pingtung, Donggang,
Pingtung County Pingtung County is a county located in southern Taiwan. It has a warm tropical monsoon climate and is known for its agriculture and tourism. Kenting National Park, Taiwan's oldest national park, is located in the county. The county seat is Pin ...
* Hualien Al-Falah Mosque in
Hualien City Hualien City (; Wade-Giles: Hua¹-lien² Shih⁴; Hokkien POJ: ''Hoa-lian-chhī'' or ''Hoa-liân-chhī'') is a county-administered city and the county seat of Hualien County, Taiwan. It is located on the east coast of Taiwan on the Pacific Oce ...
,
Hualien County Hualien County (Mandarin Wade–Giles: Hua¹-lien² Hsien⁴; Pīnyīn: ''Huālián Xiàn''; Hokkien POJ: ''Hoa-lian-koān'' or ''Hoa-liân-koān''; Hakka PFS: ''Fâ-lièn-yen''; Amis: ''Kalingko'') is a county on the east coast of Taiwan. It ...
Besides mosques, Taiwan also houses several dedicated small-size Muslim prayer rooms, such as in:


Public transportation facilities

* Taoyuan International Airport, Taoyuan City - at the transit area of Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 * Taipei Main Station, Taipei - at the basement level in the northeastern corner of the station near to Tamsui–Xinyi line, Tamsui–Xinyi Line entrance * Taichung HSR station, Taichung * Alishan railway station, Alishan Station * National Freeway 3 service area, Qingshui District, Taichung


Universities

* Chung Hua University, Hsinchu, Hsinchu City - at room G212 * Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung * National Cheng Kung University, Tainan - at 6th Dormitory of Sheng-Li Campus * National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu City - at the basement level of Student Dormitory 13 * National Quemoy University, Kinmen, Kinmen County


Tourist places

* Alishan National Scenic Area, Chiayi County - at the tourist center * Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, Taipei * Discovery Center of Taipei, Taipei * Leofoo Village Theme Park, Hsinchu County * National Palace Museum, Taipei * Shangri-La Leisure Farm, Yilan County * Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum, Chiayi County * Taipei 101, Taipei - at the fifth floor * Taipei Children's Amusement Park, Taipei * Toucheng Leisure Farm, Yilan County * Window on World Theme Park, Taoyuan City


Food certificate

The certification under the name of Taipei Grand Mosque Restaurant is a food certification issued by the Taipei Grand Mosque Foundation.


Other places

* Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou Branch (), Taoyuan City * Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Hualien City, Hualien County * Taipei City Hall, Xinyi, Taipei * Taipei Medical University Hospital * Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center, Taipei


COVID-19 pandemic

On 15 May 2021, religious activities in all mosques in Taiwan has been suspended starting 15 May until 8 June 2021 due to the recent surging case of COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan, COVID-19.


List of important Muslims who lived in or were born in Taiwan

*
Bai Chongxi Bai Chongxi (18 March 1893 – 2 December 1966; , , Xiao'erjing: ) was a Chinese general in the National Revolutionary Army of the Republic of China (ROC) and a prominent Chinese Nationalist leader. He was of Hui ethnicity and of the Musli ...
, a
Kuomintang The Kuomintang (KMT), also referred to as the Guomindang (GMD), the Nationalist Party of China (NPC) or the Chinese Nationalist Party (CNP), is a major political party in the Republic of China, initially on the Chinese mainland and in Tai ...
Army General of Hui descent who established the
Chinese Muslim Association The Chinese Muslim Association (CMA) is an organization of Chinese Muslims in the Republic of China (Taiwan). A rival group, the Chinese Muslim Youth League competes with it in Taiwan. History In Mainland China The Chinese Muslim Associatio ...
* Pai Hsien-yung, son of Bai Chongxi * Liu Wen-hsiung (1954–2017), Liu Wen-hsiung, legislator from People First Party (Republic of China), People First Party * Ma Buqing * Ma Chengxiang *
Ma Ching-chiang Ma Ching-chiang (Xiao'erjing: ) was a Chinese Muslim general of the Republic of China Army, who served in the 1970s. He served as Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Service Forces and an advisor of President Chiang Kai-shek Chiang ...
* Yulbars Khan


See also

* Religion in Taiwan * Ma clique * Uyghur people


References


External links


Islam and Culture Association - Masjid in Taiwan

Taiwan Muslims' Struggle to Survive

"Taiwan Muslims' Struggle to Survive" Ma Chao-Yen





Islam in Taiwan

Islam in Taiwan
*
Taiwan Halal Integrity Development Association

National Taiwan University of Science and Technology - International Muslim Student Association

National Chiao Tung University - Hsinchu Muslim Students Club (website)

National Chiao Tung University - Hsinchu Muslim Students Club (Facebook page)

Becoming Taiwanese Muslims: Ethnic, National and Religious Identity Transformations in a Muslim Minority

An Explorative Study on the Taiwanese Muslim
{{Asia in topic, Islam in Islam in Taiwan, Islam by country, Taiwan