Xinjiang Vocational Training Centers: Helping victims of extremism doctrines get a new life

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With terrorism a global enemy, many countries help educate and transform those once influenced by extremism. In northwestern China, the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has introduced vocational training centers to help people of extremist ideologies gain a new lease on life. CGTN's Sun Tianyuan reports.

Abudusaimaiti and his wife are training at an educational center in Hotan. As recently as six years ago, they owned a restaurant. At first, business was good, but religious extremists eventually started harassing the couple.

ABUDUSAIMAITI, TRAINEE YUTIAN EDUCATIONAL & VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTER "Extremists told us to separate tableware into two groups for Muslims and non-Muslims. Either we would provide non-Muslims disposable dishware, or don't serve them food at all, that's how serious it was. Their goal was to segregate the Han and Uyghur people."

Those demands affected Abubusaimati even more. He followed their doctrines closely over the next few years.

ABUDUSAIMAITI, TRAINEE YUTIAN EDUCATIONAL & VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTER "I put up a sign at the door that says no admission for non-Muslims. If my thoughts went on like this, I would have probably kicked customers out."

He even enforced a dress code for his employees to keep ideologies on the same page.

ABUDUSAIMAITI, TRAINEE YUTIAN EDUCATIONAL & VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTER "All in black burka, because we were under the influence of extremists, so when we hired, we accepted only those who think alike."

Starting with the little things, they eventually lost their judgment abilities.

ABUDUSAIMAITI, TRAINEE YUTIAN EDUCATIONAL & VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTER "We believed terrorists were doing the right thing killing the police or government officials. Uighurs who work for the government are not true Muslims. We thought they deserve to die, that the killers will go to heaven."

Abudusaimaiti said he felt lucky to be accepted by the vocational training center.

ABUDUSAIMAITI, TRAINEE YUTIAN EDUCATIONAL & VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTER "One who has been infected with extremism is not him or herself. They could kill or do even worse things if his or her thoughts are infected by extremism. If one's not transformed in time, there will be dire consequences. Through learning law and policies, I realized if I continued doing so, my future, my children's and my family's would hit a dead end. My hometown would have also become a troubled region."

There are many like Abudusaimaiti under the influence of terrorism and extremism. Many were coerced or lured into criminal activities. People who study at the centers are those who had committed minor offenses.

MUTALIPU, TRAINEE KASHGAR EDUCATIONAL & VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTER "An extremist told us that we must kill all heretics. And we must refuse to live in public housing or walk on the road built by the government. We don't go to school. Praying, learning the Quran and committing to jihad are what we are supposed to do."

AIDAKE, TRAINEE SHACHE EDUCATIONAL &VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTER "A man told me on my father's funeral, if I cry, my father will be going to hell. It's bad for him if I cry. Then I listened and stopped crying. Now thinking of that, I felt like a fool."

AYINUER, TRAINEE SHACHE EDUCATIONAL & VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTER "I didn't take my sick child to hospital run by the Hans, because I didn't want to take the heretics' medicine."

In southern areas of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, women were once not even allowed to wear a dress or put on make-up. Mailiyamu opened a hair salon in 2014. It was forced to shut down a month later.

MAILIYAMU, OWNER XIANNV HAIR SALON "I like to dress up, but people would reject us under the influence of religious extremism. There was a time, I was at a bazaar, an elderly man looked at me and said, look at yourself now, why don't you dress more conservatively. I was so frightened and cried."

PATIGULI, OFFICIAL AILIXIHU TOWNSHIP, SHACHE COUNTY "When I first came here, women were wearing burkas. Their husbands would not allow them to go to work, and women were forbidden to wear ordinary clothes."

Religious extremism and terrorism are closely linked with each other. In 2014, a serious terrorist attack hit Shache County, causing many casualties.

ABUDUAINI, OFFICIAL BUREAU OF JUSTICE, KASHGAR "Religious extremism inevitably turns into violence and terrorism. Because it goes to extremes, it forces people to do things. Extremists indoctrinate people with their shallow understanding of religion. For example, dying in a holy war will grant you a path to heaven, is a simple hoax to lure people. One seems normal on this day, and becomes a mob the other."

Despite the difficulty in solving the issue, training centers are expected to find the answer.

22 months without a terrorist attack, the centers are targeting the source of Xinjiang's violent incidents with jobs and education. Trainees take language classes, learn legal knowledge and develop occupational skills. They come to the centers for a change. Their relatives say they are glad to see the improvement.

GULINISHAHAN TRAINEE ALIMUJIANG'S MOTHER "It's been a month since my son came here. Now he looks even better. He looks tall and strong, his skin's even nicer. I almost didn't recognize him."

Abudukadier could barely speak putonghua before he studied at the Kashgar center. Now the 37-year-old has mastered China's most widely used language.

ABUDUKADIER, TRAINEE KASHGAR EDUCATIONAL & VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTER "People around me, especially the elderly asked me to speak in Arabic. They would call me a heretic if I was speaking in Chinese."

6 months since coming here, the center has done more than just improve his communication skills.

ABUDUKADIER, TRAINEE KASHGAR EDUCATIONAL & VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTER "I watch the news and feel like my horizons have widened. Before that, I didn't care and couldn't read nor understand."

To help them improve, teachers at the center worked out a plan for those who are less familiar with the language.

XIAREYI, TEACHER KASHGAR EDUCATIONAL & VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTER "We start with the most basic conversation, for example, what is your name, how many people are there in your family, eventually helping them eradicate extremism."

Zulipiya is a teaching assistant at the center in Kashgar. She is also a trainee. Three years ago, the college student went on a trip to a foreign country that changed her life.

ZULIPIYA, TEACHING ASSISTANT KASHGAR EDUCATIONAL & VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTER "People wear burkas and live in a way as if they are going to heaven. I thought, what if I go to hell. Then I panicked."

Then she began to spread her thoughts. But now, Zulipiya is teaching more to avoid extremism.

ZULIPIYA, TEACHING ASSISTANT KASHGAR EDUCATIONAL & VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTER "These trainees are telling their own stories. They are from different backgrounds, infected with extremism. Their stories can be a lesson for other trainees."

Legal knowledge including the criminal justice system and anti-terrorism are a must. Kasenmujiang is a teaching assistant like Zulipiya in Hotan.

KASENMUJIANG, TRAINEE HOTAN EDUCATIONAL & VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTER "If I hadn't come here, I'd probably have committed illegal acts against the country and the people. I couldn't imagine how wrong the situation could have gone. Extremism had done terrible things to a college student like me, let alone the less educated."

The centers are also teaching trainees how to make a living. Trainees can earn money practicing professional skills at companies in the centers.

AILIJIANG MAISAIDI, TRAINEE YUTIAN EDUCATIONAL & VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTER "I earned 2,800 yuan this month. I kept 500 and sent the rest home. My family is very happy, and at the same time, surprised."

Maisaidi says his income will help his family get out of poverty by the end of the year. Meanwhile, Abuduhelili in Hotan county has become the backbone of a local shoe factory, three months after he started the program.

ABULAIHATI ABUDUHELILI, TRAINEE HOTAN COUNTY EDUCATIONAL & VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTER "I have learned pretty much everything. If I can get a job here, I will be a technician instead of a simple laborer. My annual salary is around 60 to 70 thousand yuan."

He says he already has plans after graduation from the center.

ABULAIHATI ABUDUHELILI, TRAINEE HOTAN COUNTY EDUCATIONAL & VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTER "With the skills, I can work for someone, or even start a business, and be my own boss."

The centers also set up factories near the trainees' homes for their convenience.

ZHANG MINGWEN, STAFF YUTIAN EDUCATIONAL & VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTER "After they graduate, they can work in a factory and go home after work."

Humaguli Abudu graduated in September. She is working in a clothing factory near her home.

HUMAGULI ABUDU GRADUATE "The center is like a college, really. We work and study, and go to activities to understand our country's history and culture. I still have a lot that I hope to learn. I hope I can go back and say hi to my classmates sometimes."

Besides the hard skills, trainees can also choose to learn arts and culture. Abudula Abudureyimu loves Peking Opera. He is a natural. However, under the influence of extremism, singing was not allowed in the past.

ABUDULA ABUDUREYIMU, TRAINEE JIASHI COUNTY EDUCATIONAL AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTER "My life was gray and pale before, but now it's so colorful. I really like my life now."

Most of the trainees are like him. But now they have found what they had lost.