Muslims Forced to Eat Pork

(Taipei, Taiwan) Three Indonesian Muslim women, identified as Tarsinah, Suswati and Wasilah, have accused their employer of forcing them to eat pork for seven months, contrary to their Islamic beliefs.

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. […]

Susan Chen of the Taiwan International Workers Association said her organisation 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 labour rights officials.

"They were distraught and afraid when they came to our shelter, partly because they thought they might be sent home," Chen said.

So the women's dilemma was to eat pork or be sent to Indonesia. However, as a consequence arguably-cheap Chang's pursuit of ka-ching led to a labor rights charge from Chen.