275.86° 98.36° 290.56° 124.79°

This page is the translation and explanation of text seen on this work, please click to see images and introduction of the project.

The title of this work consists of four angles, used by Muslims to determine direction of Ka’ba, the black cube at the centre of the Holy Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Each angle represents a city that Chao has associated this work with, namely Linxia, Jeddah, Taipei and Eindhoven. Below is the translation and brief explanation of all text incorporated in this work.

275.86° Linxia, China

——

ِِِكيواً زاً ِوي دو ٍء ِشو تَا ِد جو / ء ِكيَه ُصِو طٌ تَاِد ٍژ / ِء ِكيَه ِشْو ثيَُو لي تَا ِد ٍژ /  ڭياْن تَا ِد ِء ِكيَه لِي ئِي جه

English translation
Praise to Him who deserves it / and prayers for His prophet / and his (i.e. the prophet’s) family and companions / who have trained themselves in his manners

——

This text is a dua (prayer of supplication), praising the prophet and his companions and aspiring to be of similar It is written in the Xiao’erjing (小兒經) language, mainly used to translate Arabic religious text into Chinese mixed with Linxia dialect’s pronunciation and grammar. This was how ancestors from my mom’s side maintained their Muslim identity and spiritual sense of belonging, while adapting to various conditions that have shaped China into their physical homeland.

From China to Saudi Arabia

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هدية من حكومة خادم الحرمين الشريفين

English translation
Gift from the government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques

——

This text is most commonly seen on the packaging of Quran and palm dates, gifted by the Saudi government to Muslim communities around the world. These gifts are considered to be part of the duties performed by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, a title that some Saudi kings use during their reign. This combination of religion and nation state makes the Saudi government responsible for the welfare of Muslims, especially those that are under its jurisdiction — such as my mom’s family that entered Saudi Arabia as pilgrims after they fled the Chinese civil war. This also enables the Saudis to assert dominance and authority in Islamic affairs, transforming religion into a tool for national branding.

98.36° Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

——

إنَّ ربَّكم واحدٌ / وإن أباكم واحدٌ / ألا لا فضلَ لعربيٍّ على عجميٍّ / ولا لعجميٍّ على عربيٍّ / ولا لأحمرَ على أسودَ / ولا لأسودَ على أحمرَ إلا بالتقوى

English translation
O People! Certainly your God is one / your father is one / an Arab has no virtue over a non-Arab / nor does a non-Arab have virtue over an Arab / a red skinned person is not more virtuous than a dark skinned person / nor is a dark skinned person more virtuous than a red skinned person except through Taqwa (piety, consciousness and fear of God).

——

This is an excerpt of a Hadith (prophet Mohammed’s teachings), mainly calling for diversity and inclusivity amongst Muslims. When I lived in Saudi Arabia, this was often taught at school and heard in daily life. It was heavily used to portray Saudi Arabia, and the larger Islamic world, as a unified place where any Muslim can feel a sense of belonging. This was true in the early days of the Saudi rule, when contemporary social practices have not taken over tribal traditions. Muslims from various backgrounds came to Saudi Arabia as pilgrims and have remained, eventually given citizenships when modern immigration laws were applied. This resulted in the extremely diverse composition of western Saudi cities, especially in and around holy cities Mecca and Medina. In stark contrast, today’s Saudi government divides Muslims into categories based on nationality and wealth, as the Kingdom enters a western-centric capitalist phase of its own history.

From China to Taiwan

——

学党史  感党恩 听党话  跟党走

English translation
Study the Party’s history / Be grateful for the Party’s grace / Listen to the Party’s teachings / Follow the Party’s lead

——

This is a popular slogan used by the Chinese Communist Party, as a way to instruct its people to not cast any doubt in their government, and be a faithful follower of socialism with Chinese characteristics. This text is also often seen around mosques, as the Chinese government replaces “foreign” architectural elements such as domes and minarets with Chinese ones, in fear of losing its Chineseness through the practice of foreign religions. Islam came to China way before communism, blending elements from both cultures through centuries of interaction and exchange. The arrival and rise of communism in China was the main reason behind the civil war around 1949, which was why my mom’s family fled to Saudi Arabia while my dad’s escaped to Taiwan.

290.56° Taipei, Taiwan

——

本店清真 / 外菜莫入 / 加湯加麵不用加價 / 牛肉麵 / 牛肉水餃 / 牛肉鍋貼 / 花素包

English translation
This is a Halal establishment / food from outside not allowed / extra noodle extra soup for free / beef noodle / beef dumpling / beef potsticker / chive bun

——

This text can be seen on the menu of several popular Halal restaurants in Taiwan, mainly serving beef noodle. When around two million Chinese refugees arrived Taiwan, their culinary culture was inevitably imported and eventually became part of the Taiwanese culture. These refugees consisted a group of Chinese Muslims from northern regions that mainly had a pastry diet, many of them opened up noodle stalls around Taipei’s main train station. Initially catering to fellow Muslims, their location also attracted many students and travellers. As the clientele were mostly poor and hungry, these shops would offer extra portions for free, a tradition maintained to this day. Beef noodle is now considered a Taiwanese dish, but most places heavily rely on pork to make broth of filling for dumplings and buns. Hence an all-beef menu that is Halal, with free extra portions, made and served by men wearing white caps, is a reflection of the history of Islam in Taiwan. This also demonstrates the maintenance of a religious identity through a minor culture and community, despite being part of a larger and more recognisable group.

From Taiwan to Netherlands

——

VOC-mentaliteit

English Translation
United (Dutch) East India Company-mentality

——

This is a term popularised by former Dutch prime minister Jan-Peter Balkenende, when in 2006 he called for a return to the “VOC mentality”. He later stated it was meant to specifically highlight the entrepreneurial spirit of getting things done, which enabled the VOC to eventually become one of the largest companies in history. But this also means prioritising profit over everything else, even if it is achieved through  exploitation and colonisation. This mentality is still evidently embedded in today’s Dutch society, from the ease of setting up a business to being the logistics powerhouse dominating global trade. Thanks to the dirty work executed by VOC in previous centuries, the Netherlands gets to enjoy a peaceful and prosperous lifestyle today. This lifestyle provides the time, money and energy for a society to adequately engage in the production of knowledge and culture, allowing for the flourishing of arts and science. This ultimately attracts foreigners, such as myself, to come to the Netherlands to work or study.

124.79° Eindhoven, Netherlands

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SUPER EXOTISCHE TOKO / VOOR HET BESTE OOSTERS BROOD GROENTE FRUITEN LEVENSMIDDELEN / TOPKWALITEIT HALAL SLAGERIJ VOOR AL UW VLEES

English translation
SUPER EXOTIC SHOP / FOR THE BEST ORIENTAL BREAD VEGETABLES FRUITS PROVISIONS / TOP QUALITY HALAL BUTCHER FOR ALL YOUR MEAT

——

These words often appear on grocery shops owned by migrants, most notably of Turkish and Kurdish origins. The shop space crammed with shelves full of imported products, from fresh produce to laundry detergents. The availability of these shops was facilitated partly by the gastarbeiders (guest workers) programme, a deal between the Dutch government and several counterparts in south Europe, north Africa and Turkey. Many of these workers stayed on after their contract has ended, despite the programme was intended to be a temporary measure. As they have settled down in the Netherlands, they have transplanted original lifestyles instead of fully embracing or adapting to the Dutch one, as these grocery shops show. When I first arrived, these shops gave me a stronger sense of belonging than that of the Asian supermarket or even Taiwanese communities. I can converse with Syrian staff in Arabic, I didn’t have to explain the cut of meat I needed for the dish I wanted to make, we shared a common language. I bought a Turkish-made prayer rug in one of the stores, I felt more at home in Kruisstraat of Eindhoven than the streets of Taipei.

Netherlands and Islam

——

LIVER TVRCX DAN PAVS

English translation
Rather Turkish than Pope

——

This was a saying from the late 1500’s, when the Ottoman empire sent help while William of Orange revolted against Catholic Spanish rule. It underlined the tolerance of Ottoman rule, which allowed all religions to be practiced without questioning, in contrast to the Spanish king who banned Protestant faiths. Hence the saying that they’d rather be ruled by the Turks, than live under the authority of Catholic Pope. Such cooperation was still continued in the 1960’s, as workers from Turkey and other Islamic countries came to assist the development of Dutch industries. Now in their second and third generations, many find themselves not welcome to build a house of prayer, while others have stopped praying as this new homeland comes with different traditions and influences.

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