A place of one’s own
On the last day of 2017, while many in Taipei were still making New Year’s Eve plans, Muslim men and women in traditional dress passed through the underground shopping mall at the Zhongshan Metro station and gathered before a private home in a quiet lane off Chang’an West Road, where they removed their shoes and kneeled reverently on a green carpet for the day’s prayers.
The crowd had gathered for a special occasion, the wedding of the son of a senior member of NU’s Taiwan organization. NU members had come from all over Taiwan to offer their congratulations and take the rare opportunity to socialize with acquaintances. A succession of dishes was carried from the house’s kitchen to share with visitors who had not yet eaten. Seated on the ground, the celebrants enjoyed the food and chatted about everyday life.
Tarnia Tari is the director of the Taipei office of Fatayat NU, the NU’s women’s youth league. She has been working in Taiwan for 11 years already and currently works as a caregiver. She has only her Sunday holiday to spend on association affairs. She points out that women account for most of the Indonesian workers in Taiwan and that the NU hopes to use the meetings of the women’s association to encourage women to support each other and to provide them with greater assistance if they need it. Aside from Taipei, Fatayat NU has set up branches in Taichung and Changhua.
In explanation of the NU’s importance to the Indonesian Muslim community, Tari points out that Islam places great value on doctrine and encourages Muslims to set aside some time each day to listen to sermons by imams. “The association gives them an opportunity to listen to sermons by Indonesian imams on a regular basis,” she says. “Once or twice a month, the NU also invites a prominent imam to Taiwan to preach to adherents—something we really look forward to.”
Ministry of Labor statistics show that at the end of November 2017 there were 670,000 foreign workers in Taiwan, including 260,000 from Indonesia. Of the Indonesian workers 90% are Muslim, making Indonesia a major source for Taiwan’s Muslim community. Although there are mosques in Taipei, Zhongli (Taoyuan), Dayuan (Taoyuan), Taichung, Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Donggang (Pingtung), long working hours make it difficult for migrant workers to attend, and the mosques are often some distance from train or subway stations. Nearly all the NU branch offices, on the other hand, are located close to stations and hold regular gatherings every second and fourth Sunday of the month, which makes it easy to remember. The NU branches have nearly supplanted the role of Taiwan’s mosques.
“In the past, Indonesian Muslims had trouble finding a place to worship,” Tari says. “Later, a group of devout Muslims took the initiative to establish a Taiwan branch of the NU, with full support of the Indonesian parent organization.”
After the founding of the Taiwan branch, the Taipei Railway Station became the main place where Muslim migrant workers gathered for prayers, but prayers were scheduled only once every three months until the NU found a permanent location in a backstreet off of Chang’an West Road, which allowed Muslims to pray weekly at a time that suited them or attend larger monthly prayer services. The establishment of the NU branch finally helped foster a sense of belonging for Indonesian Muslims working in Taiwan.
The NU gives Indonesian Muslims a sense of belonging and provides support for them in Taiwan.