Illegal migrants' failed dreams of "heavenly life"

They have tried to migrate illegally in pursuit of a "heavenly life" or "jihad." Some have even planned terrorist attacks in China.

All have found a reality totally different from their dreams.

China Central Television broadcast a program on Saturday about illegal migrants repatriated home by Chinese authorities.

Some have returned to normal life, while others are in custody for suspected crimes. But all are rethinking what they have heard from those who promised them the "heavenly life."

LIES AND NEW HOPE

Fruit farmer Mehmut is now busy managing the apple and pear trees on his orchard, which covers 6,667 square meters in Aksu, in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Now most of his work is finished and he just needs to fertilize the trees twice in October. Mehmut said the orchard could bring him 100,000 yuan (16,110 U.S. dollars) this year.

Two years ago, things were totally different.

Mehmut was caught while illegally migrating and repatriated to Xinjiang. An investigation showed he was coerced and deceived into migrating.

"What a dolt I was. I was influenced by religious extremism," he told CCTV. "I was told that I could do anything I wish after going abroad and no one could stop us. (I was also told) it is easier to earn money overseas. As long as I was there, I could make big money."

Local authorities decided to treat him with leniency and helped him return to his normal life.

"The government supports our normal religious activities," he said.

With the help of the local government, Mehmut signed contracts to cultivate another 33,330 square meters of orchard.

Mehmut said his daughter-in-law is expected to give birth to a baby in a month.

"I do not know whether it is a boy or a girl. Anyway, we will give him or her a good education," he said.

Alim Ahmad had a similar experience.

To pursue the "life in heaven," Alim sold all of his property to go abroad.

But his dream was broken. His savings of more than 100,000 yuan were gone, part of which was paid to the organizers, also known as snakeheads. After staying in prison overseas for 17 months, he was repatriated.

Like Mehmut, Alim also enjoyed government leniency and support.

Police officer Hazmet Emer vouched for him to help him restart his life.

Now, Alim has redeemed his land and settled down. His daughter attends kindergarten.

"I hope to share my experience with other people so that everyone can see through the lies about the 'heavenly life' overseas," he told CCTV. "The best and most heavenly place is my hometown."

A COLLEGE STUDENT'S "JIHAD"

Memetaili, 25, was the only son in his family. When he was a freshman in a medical school in Urumqi, Xinjiang's regional capital, some people approached him in the name of imparting "religious knowledge." The "textbooks" they used were audio and video materials made by overseas terrorist groups, according to the CCTV report.

After watching the material, Memetaili felt the urge to "sacrifice" for his religious beliefs. The group then introduced him to a "fellow countryman" abroad, who asked Memetaili to join him.

Memetaili, preoccupied by the idea of jihad, was not able to focus on his studies and let his grades slip.

"My parents said they were disappointed, so I tried to get rid of them by telling them I had no money for the trip. But they asked me not to worry and to get ready immediately," Memetaili said.

He was soon transferred to southwest China and was not allowed to take anything indicating his Chinese nationality with him during the trip.

"I was required to dispose of my clothes that had Chinese on them, my ID card, and even socks," he said.

"They told us if we were arrested in Thailand, we should say we were from Turkey," he said, adding local police could not repatriate them because they had no identification on them.

In Malaysia, Memetaili and other migrants were taken to the Turkish embassy.

"We told the people in the embassy that we were illegal migrants and could not go back, or we would be arrested. They agreed to help us, sent a letter to the Malaysian government and issued identifying papers based on our real names," he said.

With the identification from the Turkish embassy and counterfeit passports they made themselves, they were able to buy air tickets to go to Turkey.

"If we were arrested at the airport, officials from the Turkish embassy would admit that we were their nationals, even though the passports were crudely made," he said.

In Turkey, Memetaili found that several different groups, including the World Uygur Congress and the U.N.-listed terrorist group of Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM), were competing to manipulate them.

"Some of us were sent to Syria. If you wanted to join ISIS, some other people would take you there," he said.

Medical students like Memetaili were even more popular. "People get hurt in war. You can train a cook in five to 10 days, but you can't train a doctor in such a short time."

"Almost all of us got sick and some died, especially women and children. Without a passport, imams refused to bury the bodies. Most of them were just kids under 10 years old," Memetaili said. "The world is so big, but we don't have a space to bury our bodies."

Memetaili felt tricked after experiencing all the suffering. "The reality was totally different from what I imagined. I don't want to mention or hear anything about jihad."

"I would do anything to go back to my parents. They save all their money and send it to me. All I want is their forgiveness."

CONFUSED TERRORIST SUSPECT

Chinese police arrested several terrorists who sneaked into China and prepared to commit terror and violence in 2015.

Ekber is one of them. He received training from the ETIM in Syria and was sent back to China to conduct terrorist attacks.

According to Ekber, his horrifying experience started at the beginning of 2013, when he met a man who called himself "Aili."

"Aili" claimed to have rich knowledge of Islam and kept telling Ekber how to "enter paradise" through martyrdom in a terrorist attack.

According to the police, "Aili" sought to brainwash recruits and used videos to persuade them to participate.

Ekber first came to Turkey and then Syria, where he received military training for three months. During that period, he learned how to use guns and create explosives.

But he felt very confused in training since he felt he had little freedom and was totally dependent on others for clothes and food, and did not know if the food was fit for Muslims to eat.

Instigated by "Aili," Ekber went back to China in early 2015 and planned to conduct a terrorist attack in Shijiazhuang, capital city of Hebei Province, which neighbors Beijing.

Ekber was arrested before carrying out the plan.

Now in custody, Ekber said he feels very sorry for his behavior and realizes who the real victims are in so-called jihad.

He begged for forgiveness from his mother because he had lied to his family, saying that he was studying abroad.

His father passed away of sudden illness on his way from Kashgar to see him.

"Do not believe anything you see (in videos advocating 'Jihad'), do not act emotionally, do think and judge through rational thought," said Ekber. Endi