Thousands of Muslims gather across Taiwan for Eid al-Fitr prayers

Taipei, April 10 (CNA) Around 3,000 Muslims gathered at the Taipei Grand Mosque on Wednesday morning for Eid al-Fitr prayers, while hundreds of Indonesian fishers did the same at a port in Pingtung County in southern Taiwan to welcome the holy day.

In Islam, Eid al-Fitr, also known as the Festival of Breaking the Fast, marks the end of the month-long dawn-to-dusk fasting of Ramadan.

Three prayer sessions were held at the Taipei Grand Mosque on Wednesday morning, drawing around 3,000 people, said Sulaiman Wang (王孟揚), an assistant Imam at Taiwan's largest mosque.

Among those who attended, Wang estimated that 60 to 70 percent were from Indonesia, the largest ethnic group within the Muslim community in Taiwan.

Another 10 percent were Chinese Muslims, and the rest were worshipers from other countries, such as Pakistan and India.

There are now more than 300,000 Muslims, including migrant workers, living in Taiwan, according to Wu Shih-wei (吳世瑋), the head of the Taichung Civil Affairs Bureau.

Anindya Nismara, an Indonesian master's student at National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, said this was the first time she participated in Eid al-Fitr prayers in Taiwan, and called the experience "incredible" because she was able to meet a lot of people.

When asked about Taiwan's acceptance of Muslims, the 23-year-old told CNA she was surprised how welcoming Taiwanese are toward Islamic culture.

"When I get to introduce my religion and culture to my [Taiwanese] friends, they've been really welcoming, even though they're not Muslims," she said.

As a Taiwanese Muslim, Mary Ma said she has taken part in Eid al-Fitr prayers at the Taipei Grand Mosque every year since childhood, and she has seen an increase in Taiwan's Muslim population because of the influx of migrant workers and foreign nationals in recent years.

"Exchanging the cultures of many countries and coming together to share their foods or languages, is a wonderful experience," the 21-year-old said.

Taiwan is now a more Muslim-friendly country, she said, with an increase in prayer rooms in public spaces and restaurants and convenience stores providing halal foods.

In Pingtung County's Donggang Township, a major southern fishing port, hundreds of Indonesian fishers gathered under a shed at a port Wednesday for the Eid Salah prayers to welcome the holy day.

After finishing praying, the fishers shook hands, a custom symbolizing forgiving each other of any sins and becoming holy again.

Some of the celebrations for the holy day began the night before.

On Tuesday night, members of Fospi, the largest Indonesian migrant fishers' association in Taiwan, gathered for the fast-breaking dinner, feasting on such tastes of home as sup ikan sayur asin (fish soup), telur dadar (omelet), cumi pedas (stir-fried spicy squid), tempe (fried soybean cake), and spicy stir-fried spinach.

Following the meal, dozens of fishers took to the streets of Donggang to take part in a parade, during which they rolled a miniature mosque on a cart and sang the takbir, the Islam phrase praising Allah.