Special report focuses on grief caused by terrorism

Mehmet Tursun, a native of Yecheng county in Xinjiang, said terrorists that attacked innocent people at an incident in the county in 2012, were absolute monsters.

Victims and survivors of terrorist attacks recently shared their stories in a special report, "Victims and Survivors of Terrorism in China; An Oral History" that was released by the Institute for Communication and Borderland Governance at Jinan University on Thursday.

Mehmet, whose brother was working at a local grain and oil store was killed in the terrorist attack on Feb 28, 2012, said the incident has brought him so much harm that he is still in pain and anger now.

"It ruined my sister-in-law's entire family, and my dad was in constant pain and eventually passed away. I always felt great anger, and I would like to meet those terrorists who killed these innocent people, and even if there is no way I can meet them, I just want to ask them: On what grounds can they kill those who have no grudges against them and don't even know them?

"Because of the terrorist attack, my father passed away, and my mother hasn't smiled for years."

After the incident, Mehmet's family was like a train suddenly pulled off the track, and everything was gone at once, he said.

Mehmet recalled the terrorists stabbed anyone they met in the street.

"And my brother boss' wife had to rush into the store and hide under the table," he said.

Later Mehmet was told by the boss' wife that she saw most of the staff of her store trying to hide under the tables, as the terrorists were chasing and attacking them.

"After my brother punched the terrorists who attacked him in front of the store, he was hacked and killed by them," Mehmet quoted the proprietress as saying.

"After my brother's body was sent back to us, I found wounds on his head, neck, shoulder and left arm."

Mehmet said then the whole family cried together in grief.

"My sister-in-law was particularly devastated by the death of my brother, as she lost her husband, while my niece and nephews, who were students at that time, lost their father," he added.

Click here to read the full text of the report