Islam in Taiwan

Taipei Grand Mosque

Islam is a slowly growing religion in Taiwan 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 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 mosques in Taiwan, with the most notable being theTaipei Grand Mosque, the oldest and largest one. Taiwanese Muslims are mostly descended from Chinese Muslims in Mainland China, and are Sunni Muslims mostly belonging to the Hanafi school. Nevertheless, they practically face no problem at all with other groups of Muslim schools. Differences are more a matter of mutual curiosity.

Quotes

• The tomb of late general Bai Chongxi will form the basis for a Muslim cultural area and Taiwan historical park.
  • Hau Lung-pin (2013) cited in "Pai Chung-hsi's tomb to center Taipei cultural park" on Taiwan Today, 8 March 2013.

• The relationship between the ethnic Chinese and Islamic worlds dates back more than 1,300 years. Although Muslims are a minority group in Taiwan, the government is working tirelessly to safeguard their rights.
  • Ma Ying-jeou (2015) cited in "Ma reaffirms value of religious diversity in Taiwan" on Taiwan Today, 15 December 2015.

• The (Taipei) city (government) should use its budget to build a bigger mosque, preferably close to an MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) station.
  • Ko Wen-je (2016) cited in "Mayor says Taipei should fund, build larger mosque" on Taipei Times, 4 October 2016.

• We aim to make Tainan a Muslim-friendly city with services from birth to death.
  • Li Meng-yen (2018) cited in "NCKU World Islam Campus Summit 2018" on National Cheng Kung University, 6 June 2018.

• I think that fasting (in the month of Ramadan for Muslims) is not only a religious rite, but also a symbol of human rights, as there are many places in the world that are going through rough times, and fasting shows our devotion.
  • Tsai Ping-kun (2019) cited in "Muslims gather at Taipei Railway Station for Eid al-Fitr" on Taipei Times, 6 June 2019.

• Taiwan is making an effort to become a Muslim-friendly society in the areas of tourism, trade, culture and more.
  • Tsai Ing-wen (2019) cited in "President Tsai meets with local Muslims, touts Taiwan’s Muslim-friendly environment" on Taiwan News, 18 September 2019.

• There are kind and compassionate hearts that aims to bring the greatest comfort and support to believers in every religious culture. The Islamic culture is all over Asia. Although the number of people who believe in Islam in Taiwan is relatively small, the pious hearts of Muslims show no difference.
  • Cheng Wen-tsan (2021) cited in "The new building of Longgang Mosque, a new highlight of Taiwan's Islamic culture, was completed", Taoyuan City Government, 15 November 2021.

• Taipei Mayor Ko hopes to make Taipei the world's most Muslim-friendly tourist spot, and we (Taipei City Government) are approaching that goal step-by-step.
  • Tsai Ping-kun (2021) cited in "Taipei looking forward to Muslim tourists when borders open: official" on Focus Taiwan, 14 December 2021.

• Once our borders open for tourists (after COVID-19 lockdown), we need to have sufficient facilities for Muslim tourists. Even though we do not have many Muslim friends here (in Taipei) at the moment, we are committed to building a foundation.
  • Tsai Ping-kun (2021) cited in "Taipei official outlines Muslim tourism plans" on Taipei Times, 15 December 2021.

• Taipei is committed to becoming a friendly, diverse and inclusive city.
  • Chiang Wan-an (2024) cited in "Taipei City hosts 2024 Eid-Al-Fitr celebration in Daan Forest Park" on Radio Taiwan International, 15 April 2024.