Government remarks In April2005,
President Chen Shui-bian led a delegation from Taiwan to attend the
funeral of Pope John Paul II in
St. Peter's Basilica,
Vatican City by a chartered
China Airlines flight. The delegation includes the
Minister of Foreign Affairs Mark Chen 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 December2015 in
Taipei, 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, therefore
Quran and
Hadith have been translated from its original Arabic to Mandarin by Ma Jun and Chen Ke-li respectively. In March1959, the first Quran translation in
Chinese language 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 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. On 29September2020,
Chunghwa Post released stamps featuring Taipei Grand Mosque and
Taichung Mosque 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 May2010, wife of the owner of Shin Hua Hang Fashion Co. in
Taipei County was charged for forcing her three Muslim Indonesian employees to eat
pork 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 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
Council of Labor Affairs showing respect for different religions and promotion of social harmony. The advertisement was welcomed by the
Chinese Muslim Association. In May2011 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 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 in
Xinyi District,
Taipei , Taipei ,
Kaohsiung 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 November2019, there are around 200 Halal restaurants altogether in Taiwan. The number continues to grow at a rate around 20 percent 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. 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. 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. 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. Several
FamilyMart stores in Taipei have included various halal products on their shelves. The
Liouhe Night Market in
Sinsing District,
Kaohsiung 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 language,
Quran and
Hadith 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 since 1957 under the Department of Arabic Language and Culture under the College of Foreign Language and Literature. 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 at
Taipei Grand Mosque during the
fasting month Muslims in Taiwan observe the
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 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 in 2020.
Zakat donation box at
Taipei Grand Mosque 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,
Yunlin and other detention centers for usually overstaying their
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 was the first hospital in Taiwan to be certified Muslim-friendly. 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 percent 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. In August 2013, during the Muslims's grand festival Eid al-Fitr after the end of
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 helped 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 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. 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 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. In 2023, Eid al-Fitr celebration was started back again after the relaxation of COVID-19 restriction. Celebration was held in Daan Forest Park and was attended by
Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an. The mayor pledged to strengthen Taipei's inclusiveness and sustainability. In April 2024, the
Chung Hwa University of Medical Technology organized Eid Al-Fitr celebration which was attended by
Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che. The event was jointly organized with
Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology and
Kun Shan University.
Innovations Various Islam-related
mobile applications have been developed in Taiwan or by Taiwanese, such as apps for prayer times.
Hajj pilgrimage with the people who have just returned from
Hajj pilgrimage in 2017 The
Republic of China 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 percent 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
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 (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 (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 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,
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, 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 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. ,
Kaohsiung 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
Taipei Muslim Cemetery in Liuzhangli area of Taipei's
Xinyi District on 7 March 2013 where the tomb of late
Nationalist General
Bai Chongxi is located,
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 dome,
minarets, prayer tower and inscriptions by politicians and other historic figures. Next to his tomb lies that of his wife, and also grave plots for his 10 children, of which three have been taken. Whether one of his sons,
Pai Hsien-yung, and his other children 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 October2017, works on the new Muslim cemetery in
Shanlin District, named Guizhen Park () started and completed on 2April2018. 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.
Tourism for Muslims in
New Taipei direction at Taipei 101 observatory deck 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. 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
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.
Islamic artifacts In 2023, the Taiwan Book Hospital of
National Taiwan Library restored a 500-year-old
Quran artifact. The book was given to
Tzu Chi from a Turkish volunteer in 2021.
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 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 January–September 2014,
National Taiwan Museum held an exhibition showing the cultural and religious objects from the
Islamic world entitled
The Exhibition of Islamic Life and Culture (). The exhibition displayed more than 200 items, featuring
Quran manuscripts,
Muslim clothes,
caps,
prayer beads,
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 and several
non-governmental organizations, the event was attended by participants from more than 20 countries and territories. Speaking at the opening ceremony,
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. On 29 March 2017, the Tourism Bureau of
Tainan City Government organized a seminar in
West Central District,
Tainan 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. Launched in 2017, the Taiwan Muslim Youth Exchange Program is an annual event initiative of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs to booth exchanges between people-to-people and mutual understanding between Taiwan and countries of
New Southbound Policy. 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
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, 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. In conjunction with
UN Arabic Language Day, the
National Chengchi University hosted the celebration for the very first time in Taiwan in 2022. In 2023,
National Central Library hosted the event with the theme
Arabic — the Language of Poetry and Arts. The opening ceremony was attended by representatives from the
Saudi Arabian Trade Office in Taipei and also
Jordan and
Oman.
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 at
Kaohsiung Mosque 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
prayer, is difficult in the fast-paced Taiwanese working and living environment. Many Muslims cannot attend the
Friday prayer in the
mosques, 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
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. 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. In August 2021,
Vice President 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==