The lie of 'Jihadi Migration' ep.3: 'Jihad' or 'Hell?'
CCTV
2015-07-20 10:07:00
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Ablimit and his wife were classmates at school. Five years ago, he was doing translation work, while also being employed in the second-hand motor vehicle trade in Urumqi. He and his wife and two children were living quite happily. But their quiet existence would eventually become a distant memory.
In this video taken by an ETIM member, it’s clear that the person doing the filming is panic-stricken. When they see the helicopter approaching, they immediately hide under the tree.
"It’s really dangerous, because a lot of people have been killed by bombs. We were ordered to hide when we see it," he said.
"I’ve never had a good night’s sleep," she said.
Their life of fear and anxiety began with a meeting with a man called “Satpulla Haji” while they were traveling in Turkey. At first, he seemed very kind. He invited them to stay at his home where he would take every opportunity to tell Ablimit about a good place where “food and accommodation are taken care of, and money provided.”
"He said that in the tribal areas a fair and just society operated. Everything was done according to the teachings of the Koran, and Islamic morals were fully expressed. The women all wore hooded robes, and they and the children were protected. All the Muslims there shared a special bond," he said.
Only later did Ablimit discover that this apparently warmhearted man was actually the person in charge of recruiting new members for ETIM. Eventually, he succumbed to the months of incessant persuasion. Pretending to his family that they were going travelling, and using fake passports, he took them through various countries to the terrorist organization’s base.
"Except for our money, everything else was taken off us, including our mobile phones and computers, as well as our passports," he said.
And so, Ablimit began training as a terrorist. His wife and children were given a tiny adobe house to live in, with less than 10 square metres of floor space.
"I stayed at home practically all the time. A woman may not go outside; the men won't allow it. So I stay indoors, and so do all the women," she said.
"The rich people live in concrete houses. We have only the adobe houses, we build for ourselves," he said.
"When it rains, it leaks everywhere. The accommodation’s awful; it’s wet all over the place," she said.
While they were overseas, they had a third child.
"The cut didn't heal properly after my Caesarean. There were still stitches left when I got home, and they became infected. The stitches were removed, but it was hot there. The cut wouldn't heal even if it was treated several times a day, and the pain was unbearable," she said.
"She suffered a lot after the Caesarean owing to the bad medical conditions. She was given an injection through her clothes and she cried in the hospital, because she suffered so much," he said.
Arzigul says her fine black hair used to be her pride, but after a year at the overseas terrorist base, it had turned grey.
"I never cried in front of the children. I only cried when they were asleep or when I was doing the laundry, or when I was cooking, when they wouldn't see me, or when they fell asleep at night," she said.
Meanwhile, under orders from the terrorists’ leaders, Ablimit was embarking on so-called "Jihad" in the mountainous regions.
"If we were told we were going for Jihad that day it meant we'd walk for around 3km and set up our weapons. Then we'd launch our shells from a distance, although I never saw any hit their target," he said.
Ablimit went on Jihad five times, and never once came into close contact with the enemy. He eventually became confused about the purpose of what they were doing.
"I asked them, 'Is it always like this when you go for Jihad?' And they’d say, yes. So I asked, 'What's the point? It doesn't make any sense.' And they just remained silent," he said.
Ablimit claims he finally decided to leave. But he didn’t know where he should head for. He was also overcome with the fear that if he was caught fleeing, he might be executed.
"I’d heard about someone being executed because he was suspected of being a spy. I was terrified. If we were to flee, they’d definitely assume we’d been there to gather information, or that we were spies from China. So, all we could do was wait," he said.
The lie of 'Jihadi Migration' ep.3: 'Jihad' or 'Hell?' | ENGLISH.JSCHINA.COM.CN
