The workplace is a hazard, but it took a real nasty turn for three Muslim women.
Three Muslims from Indonesia were "distraught and afraid" after their boss at a suburban Taipei factory forced them to eat pork over a seven-month period or face punishment, a Taiwan rights group said Monday.
Taipei prosecutors on April 26 indicted Chang Wen-lin, the owner of Shin Hua Hang Fashion Co. Ltd., for forcing the three women to consume pork during their September 2008 to April 2009 employment.
In their indictment the prosecutors said Chang believed that the meat "would give the women more stamina for work" and threatened to take money out of their salaries if they didn't eat it.
Islam forbids its adherents from consuming pork because it regards pigs as unclean.
Susan Chen of the Taiwan International Workers Association said her organization cared for the three women for three to four months beginning in April 2009 after they filed a complaint with Taipei county authorities and were removed from the factory by labor rights officials.
"They were distraught and afraid when they came to our shelter, partly because they thought they might be sent home," Chen said.
"They still showed a lot of fear when they met their employer again for the first time after their rescue during a meeting to discuss employment disputes."
Chang did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Chen identified the women as Tarsinah, Suswati and Wasilah. She said they are now working at new jobs in Taiwan and do not want to comment on the case because they fear it could endanger their employment.
Chen said Chang originally hired the women as caregivers, but that they were ordered to work from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. in Chang's factory after they arrived in Taiwan. She said they were paid an average salary of New Taiwan dollars 1,370 ($42) per month - far less than the NT$17,000 minimum wage.
Taiwan now employs about 350,000 foreign laborers, many from Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam. Most work as caregivers or as factory and construction laborers.
The U.S. State Department said in its 2009 Human Rights Report that abuse of foreign workers remains a serious problem in Taiwan.
It said the workers are often reluctant to report employer abuse because they fear it could endanger their employment and compromise their efforts to pay back broker employment fees, which can amount to as much as $10,000.
From Occupied Palestine:
We have suffered too much for too long. We will not accept apartheid masked as peace. We will settle for no less than our freedom.
The workplace is a hazard, but it took a real nasty turn for three Muslim women.
Only three ????
According to credible report from an Indonesian da'ee in Taiwan, many Indonesian Muslim workers were forced to eat pork by their employers. And also their employers ban those Muslims workers doing salah. Believe it or not, this da'ee had no choice except advice them do salah in the bathroom, the only place where their employers cannot see them.
You'd expect this happen in the West, but Taiwan? Aren't there a lot of Muslims there? Oh, wait, Wikipedia says that only 0.3% of the population are Muslim. I would expect more for a South East Asian country. But still, not good.
How awful!! I thought that people in the east show more tolerance in such religious issues. May Allah help our sisters and brothers who are suffering there.
You'd expect this happen in the West, but Taiwan? Aren't there a lot of Muslims there? Oh, wait, Wikipedia says that only 0.3% of the population are Muslim. I would expect more for a South East Asian country. But still, not good.
Taiwan is not a south east asian country, it is a chinese country (part or separate, depending on which side you are on).
GAH.
I think my quote in the other thread perfectly sums this up:
"it's like conversing with a stupid person who thinks he is a genius"
Even based on location (geographically) alone, Taiwan is in East Asia, not to mention politically, socio-culturally, linguistically, economically. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Asia
while south east asian countries are those countries grouped in ASEAN:
Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei Darussalam, Thailand, The Philippines, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Burma, East Timor
Not really. Geographically, Taiwan is actually just above the Phillipines, which IS in South East Asia. So it's on the border.
South East Asia area are Indonesian and Pilliphine archipelago, Malaysian peninsula, and Indochina area. Taiwan is out of the border of this area.
Taiwan is known as 'another China'. It was established by the former China ruler, general Chiang Kai sek and his nationalist party, Kuo Min Tang. General Chiang Kai Sek escaped to this island after Mao Ze Dong and his communist party defeated him in civil war in China mainland.
I never expect this happen in the West. I heard some complains around racism cases in the West, but I never heard Western people forced their Muslim workers to eat pork or ban them doing salah.
but Taiwan? Aren't there a lot of Muslims there? Oh, wait, Wikipedia says that only 0.3% of the population are Muslim. I would expect more for a South East Asian country. But still, not good.
Those 0.3% are immigrants or migrant workers from Muslim countries. I remember, in late of 80's there was an old Taiwanese Chinese who said, I am the only Taiwanese Muslim.
I doubt if any person staying in Taiwan more than a day could avoid eating pork. Unless they brought their own food supply with them. i can not think of a single Taiwanese food that does not contain pork as an ingredient, or a pork product as a flavoring, stabilizer, cooking medium etc. there does seem to be a cultural belief that eating pork increases stamina. I also think there is a belief that everybody eats pork and that some people do not eat a sufficient amount and need to be forced into eating more for maximum health and stamina. I think all Muslims would do well to avoid any travel to Taiwan, even for very short stays.
Not really. Geographically, Taiwan is actually just above the Phillipines, which IS in South East Asia. So it's on the border.
Having a discussion with you is very fascinating.
Despite the truth presented to you, despite the facts, and despite the logic, you still hold onto your own belief that Taiwan is a south east asian country. Talk about blind faith!
Christian faith suit you very well.
Using your brand of logic, India is also an East Asian country, because it is just below China, right? And Spain is an african country because it is just above Morocco right?
well eating pork in the morning is our cultural dish here even if you stayed at a non muslims home they would cook it for you without even asking you what you would like for your brickfast lol they make out like pork is the only food you could possibly eat in the morning
But i don't know why i find this difficult to believe how could any one force you to eat something that you don't want? i was going to leave the job straight away if it happened with me. thats disgusting
Having a discussion with you is very fascinating.
Despite the truth presented to you, despite the facts, and despite the logic, you still hold onto your own belief that Taiwan is a south east asian country. Talk about blind faith!
Christian faith suit you very well.
Using your brand of logic, India is also an East Asian country, because it is just below China, right? And Spain is an african country because it is just above Morocco right?
Have you never looked at a map before? Taiwan is in East Asia. It is in the southern part of East Asia. Therefore, I regard it as South East Asian. I frankly do not care whether you regard it as such. I have no interest in continuing to argue such a pointless and meaningless topic.
Have you never looked at a map before? Taiwan is in East Asia. It is in the southern part of East Asia. Therefore, I regard it as South East Asian. I frankly do not care whether you regard it as such. I have no interest in continuing to argue such a pointless and meaningless topic.
Interesting.
First, you stated Taiwan is in East Asia (i bolded the part), which is the correct view as I have told you all along
and then you continue to "oooh, but it is a south east asian"
I don't know what else to say in this matter, really.
By the way, you might be interested in this axiom: 1 + 1 + 1 = 1
How about nothing? Your input was unnecessary to begin with, let alone the senseless argument you created.
I marvel at:
1. your inability to accept the fact that you made error. Eventhough me and another poster (ardianto) at first corrected your assertion that Taiwan is a south east asian country in a nice way, you kept refusing to admit you made error. And when more evidence were produced that Taiwan is a East asian country , and not South East Asian country, you kept making this argument longer than necessary
2. your shameless attitude that pointing finger at me saying I keep making this senseless argument, while it is you that is being stubborn.
If only you'd say "oh thanks for your correction, yes Taiwan is a East Asian country" then all is well. But your attitude is somewhat baffling.
By the way, both Ardianto and I were born and raised in a South East Asian country, so certainly we know which ones are a SEA country and which ones are not.
This is a really sickening story. A lot of Muslims from poorer countries get exploited.
And a lot of the time the worst exploitation happens in the Middle East where Arabs think they are superior to everyone and treat their employees like slaves.
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i was going to leave the job straight away if it happened with me. thats disgusting
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