Development and Challenges of the Muslim Minority Community in Taiwan

ISLAM has been developing in Taiwan since the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and the early Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Several Muslim families who settled in the coastal areas of Fujian Province migrated to Taiwan. They were Muslim families of Arab and Persian descent. Most Muslims in Taiwan today came from mainland China after World War II.

Among them was Bai Chongxi, also known as Omar Bai Chongxi, a former commander who had been involved in World War II and Minister of Defense. He died in 1966, and they buried him in the Islamic cemetery in Taipei. In 2013, his tomb became a site of Islamic heritage and culture in Taipei. Omar Bai Chongxi's grandson, Muhammad Ma, a halal butcher, often travels throughout Taiwan to help the Taiwanese Muslim community.

Taiwan's Muslim population is 60,000, or 0.3 percent of the total population. Most are descendants of Hui Muslims who migrated to Taiwan in 1949.

However, the number of Muslims in Taiwan now amounts to about 300,000, most of whom are foreign workers, students from Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The presence of Muslims from the Southeast Asian and South Asian regions has contributed to Taiwan's major cities such as Taipei and Kaohsiung becoming multicultural.

In addition, Taiwan's location is also very strategic near Muslim countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam in line with the New Southbound Policy, which encourages closer interaction with Asean members.

Although Muslims in Taiwan are free to practice Islam, they face two major challenges.

First, is the challenge of maintaining identity and faith in a society where most of the population is non-Muslim, especially among young Muslims who have minimal Islamic knowledge. Taiwan has experienced rapid economic development in the past five decades, which has changed the way of life of the Taiwanese Muslim community, especially young Muslims who have limited Islamic education and knowledge. As time goes by, the non-Muslim environment increasingly challenges Islamic beliefs and culture.

Second, misunderstandings and negative perceptions of Islam by non-Muslims. This problem has become serious in the past twenty years, where the Taiwanese Muslim community could not communicate efficiently with the majority community and convey the true Islam to them.

Western media, especially after the 9/11 incident, has created various kinds of misunderstandings of Islam among the majority community. However, there are also many Taiwanese residents who visit mosques and Islamic centers to study and learn about the true teachings of Islam despite the negative information from Western media alone.

Therefore, Taiwanese Muslims must correct the misunderstandings of Islam that foreign media instilled in many non-Muslims. Therefore, they should welcome people of other religions, officials and students from schools and universities to mosques to show them that mosques are places of worship that bring peace and tranquility. Hopefully, these steps can help local non-Muslims understand Islam and get an accurate picture.

Mosques play an important role in fostering Islamic understanding in Taiwan. In Taiwan, the Muslim community has very limited formal Islamic educational institutions.

Muslim children study Islamic knowledge at mosques on Sundays. Mosques often hold courses such as Arabic, Quran recitation and the syiar of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Mosques also hold classes for adults to learn the meaning of the Quran and sharia.

This photo taken on Jan 19, 2018 shows two Halal certificates on display at the reception are at the Gaia Hotel, which caters to tourists from Muslim-dominant countries, in the Beitou district near Taipei. (Photo by Mandy CHENG / AFP)

In large cities in Taiwan such as Taipei, Tainan, Kaohsiung and Taichung, there are mosques that serve as places of worship and social gatherings for local and overseas Muslims. The Chinese Islamic Association is the largest Islamic organisation in Taiwan. In addition, the Islamic Culture and Education Foundation provides scholarship assistance and lectures on Islamic teachings.

Among the main mosques is the Taipei Grand Mosque, which was completed in 1960. The local and foreign Muslim communities built it. Taiwan has also become a centre of higher education for many Muslims from West Asia and South Asia.

Many of them have held important positions such as diplomats, doctors, lecturers and engineers after graduating. This has indirectly helped to strengthen the friendship between Taiwan and their countries.

Mosques and Islamic organisations receive funds from donations from local and foreign Muslim communities. Sometimes, they request subsidies from government agencies, especially for activities related to local affairs. In addition, Islamic organizations such as the Muslim World League (MWL) and the World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY) also help in carrying out some activities.

The Taipei Grand Mosque Islamic Volunteer Corporation is an active volunteer organization. It organises and receives support from several Muslims to do charity work at the mosque to help other Muslims.

The Muslim minority community in Taiwan, whether local or international, is free to practice Islam but faces various challenges in a non-Muslim environment. They have maintained their Islamic identity and live in harmony with the majority population.

Assoc. Prof. Dr Roy Anthony Rogers is Head Department of International and Strategic Studies, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Universiti Malaya. He can be contacted at rarogers@um.edu.my. The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of Sinar Daily.