His Excellency Tun Pehin Sri Dr. Haji Abdul Taib bin Mahmud, Governor of Sarawak and President of the Regional Islamic Da'wah Council of Southeast Asia and the Pacific (RISEAP);
Mr. Ridzuan Wu, Deputy President of RISEAP;
Mr. Chang Ming-chun (張明峻), Head of the Chinese Muslim Association;
Mr. Chen Wei-zen (陳威仁), Minister of the Interior of the Republic of China;
Mr. Bruce J. D. Linghu (令狐榮達), Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China;
Honored guests;
Ladies and gentlemen:
Good morning!
I'm very happy to be here today for the 16th General Assembly of the Regional Islamic Da'wah Council of Southeast Asia and the Pacific. Today we have with us over 80 religious and political leaders, experts, and scholars from 23 countries in the Asia-Pacific Region. So on behalf of the government and people of the Republic of China, let me extend a warm welcome to one and all.
I'd like to start off by reminding everyone that Islam has a long and storied history in our country. Back in the seventh century AD, during the Yonghui (永徽) era of the Tang Dynasty Emperor Gaozong (唐高宗), Islam was still a relatively new religion. Nevertheless, traders from Persia and Arabia brought Islam with them to the Middle Kingdom, namely China. That was over 1,300 years ago, so in terms of history—we are old friends.
And that history is full of prominent Muslims. Back in the 15th century AD, a famous Ming Dynasty admiral and great navigator, Zheng He (鄭和), with 27,000 troops on 240 large ships each, made seven famous sea voyages in 28 years, totally 70,000 nautical miles. And he was a Muslim. Former Minister of National Defense of the Republic of China, General Pai Chung-hsi (白崇禧), was also a devout Muslim. And when we relocated to Taiwan in 1949, tens of thousands of Muslims came with the Nationalist Government.
Our government cares about the development of Islam in Taiwan. That still made Islam a minority religion in Taiwan, with only about 50,000 believers. But over the past few years, many Indonesians have come to Taiwan to work, increasing the Muslim population to about 250,000. That's given everyone in Taiwan many opportunities to learn about Islam, and get to know Muslims on a personal level. Our government also has a long track record of protecting the rights and interests of the Muslim community.
In 2001, for instance, when I was the mayor of Taipei City, I attended the Eid al-Fitr feast with our Muslim friends. Also during that period, the Taipei Grand Mosque was in danger of being torn down as a result of a property ownership dispute. But I fought to preserve it, and have the city government designate it as a historical monument free from being torn down forever. So today, the Taipei Grand Mosque still serves Muslims at home and from foreign countries who come to Taiwan to work, providing a focus for their faith, and a source of spiritual sustenance.
Every year for the past seven years, members of Muslim groups who are making the pilgrimage to Mecca have been invited to meet with me at the Office of the President. In April of this year, I also met with Dr. Abdullah Bin Abduk Mohsin Al-Turki, Secretary-General of the Muslim World League. Interacting with these leaders of the Islamic community, as well as other Muslims, has helped me understand the current state of Islam's development both globally, and in Taiwan. It also gave me an opportunity to let them know that Islam's development is important to the Republic of China government.
As you may know, Article 13 of our Constitution expressly states that "The people shall have freedom of religious belief." So the Republic of China is committed to protecting religious equality and freedom of religious belief. All religions—whether they are indigenous or introduced from abroad—are free to develop, and we are very pleased to see Islam grow freely in Taiwan's rich religious environment.
And this year, when the Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) rated travel destinations outside the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Taiwan was ranked Number 10 in the world. So we hope that when you return to your home country, you'll tell your friends and family members that Taiwan is a very beautiful—and Muslim-friendly—country. Our door is always open, and I can assure you of a warm welcome.
Let me close by wishing you all good health, much happiness, and a very successful General Assembly. And last but not least, during your stay in Taiwan I hope you will squeeze some time out of your very busy schedule to enjoy the very rich life in this country. Now I'll suggest where you are supposed to go. First is the National Palace Museum where the art treasures of the last 4,000 years collected by at least 25 emperors are exhibited. To go there you will see our past. But if you want to know our present, please go to the night markets to see and enjoy many exotic and delicious local snacks, where you will see the daily life of our people. No matter where you go, please do as much shopping as possible. We need your help to invigorate our economy.
Thank you very much and welcome to Taiwan again!