President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) invited Taiwanese Muslims to cooperate with the government in fostering relations between the island and the Islamic world on Wednesday (18 September).
According to Taiwan News, Tsai met with the local Muslim Community who had returned from a pilgrimage to Mecca this year noticing that Islam is one of the most influential religions in the world. Tsai praised the values of peace and justice espoused by the world’s second largest religion.
According to Tsai, Taiwan is working towards becoming a Muslim-friendly society in the areas of tourism, trade, culture, and more. He told the group that the growing exchanges between Taiwanese Muslims and non-Muslims had been placed at the top of his administration’s agenda.
For example, he said Taiwan has been pushing for the establishment of halal-certified facilities and services. At least 200 restaurants have passed the halal requirement, and Taiwan’s capital launched the island’s first vending machine to sell halal food earlier this month.
Other measures aimed at making Muslim residents or visitors “feel right at home” include promoting halal hospitals and setting up prayer rooms at airports, train stations and tourist attractions such as the National Palace Museum.
According to Tsai, the government’s efforts have received international recognition. A survey released by the Mastercard-Crescent Rating Global Muslim Travel Index 2019 listed Taiwan as the third most Muslim-friendly country outside the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
