FI L ED U.S. COURT OF APPEAL S EL EVENTHCI RCUI T NOVEMB ER 3, 2011 J OHN L EY CL ERK [DO NOT PUBLISH] IN THE UN ITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE ELE VENTH CIRCUIT

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__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ Age nc y No. A8 8- 80 0- 60 4 WASEEM M A ABURUWAIDA, Pet it io ne r, ve rs us U.S. ATTO RNEY GENERAL, Res po nd en t.

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ Pet it io n fo r Rev ie w of aDeci si on of t he Bo ardof I m

m ig rat io n Ap pe al s

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ _ (No ve m be r 3, 2 01 1) Befo re CARNES, WILSON andBLACK, Cir cu itJu dg es . PER CURI AM: W as eem M. A. Abu ru waid a, a n at iv e o f Sau di Arab iaan d ast at el es s Pal es ti ni an , see ks rev ie w of t he Bo ardof I m m ig rat io n Ap pe al ’s dec is io n a ffi rm in gth e Imm ig rat io n J ud ge ’s ord er d en y in g h is ap pl ic at io n fo r as y lu m an d wi th ho ld in g of rem ov al un de r th e Imm ig rat io n a ndNati on al it y Act, an d re li ef u nd er the Uni te d Nati on s C on ve nt io n Ag ai ns t To rtu re an d Ot he r Cru el , Inh um an , andDegr ad in g Treat m en t o r Pu ni sh m en t. Abu ruwaid a ap pl ie d fo r as y lu m an d wi th ho ld in g o f rem ov al ba se d o n ra ce, na ti on al it y , po li ti cal op in io n, an d m em be rs hi p i n apa rti cu lar so ci al gro up . The IJ fo un d a t h is rem ov al he ari ng th atAbu ru waid a h adtes ti fie d c red ib ly abo utIsr ael i so ld ie rs ’ m is tre atm en t o f hi m when he li ve d i n t he W es t Ba nkwhi le att en di ng m ed ic al sch oo l. Inth e su m m er o f 20 03 so ld ie rs awak en edhi m at abo ut3: 00 a.m ., qu es ti on edhi m , andsea rch edhi s h ou se . They hi t h im on th e h eadan d/ or

in th e face with ahe lm et . The s ol di ers us edhi m as ahu m ansh ie ldwhen th ey sea rch ed ot he r ho m es in th e n ei gh bo rh oo d a ndth reat en edto bl ow up ado orwith Abu ru waid a in fro ntof i t, i f th e n ei gh bo r di d n otan swe r. Abu ru waid a su ffer ed brui se s an d m en ta l an gu is h a s a r es ul t o f th atin ci de nt , bu t h e d idno t re po rt i t be cau se he be li ev edno act io n wo ul d b e ta ke n. Abu ruwaid a al so tes ti fie d t ha t atch eckpo in ts he ha d t o wai t i n l on g l in es , was sp itat, was so m et im es hi t, an d was subjec te d t o e m ba rras si ng search es . So m et im es he was h itin th e fac e, ch es t, an d l eg s, an d a s a r es ul t o f th os e in ci de nt s

2he su ffer edbru is es , bu t h e d idno t s eekm ed ic al att en ti on . The IJ fou ndth atth es e

ev en ts di d n otris e to th e le ve l o f pe rs ecu ti on , andth e BIA ag reed . Abu ruwaid a co nt en ds th atth e Is rael i m il it ary pe rs ecu te d h im when he li ve d in th e West B an k. He as se rts th atGaza i s the on ly Israe li oc cupi edterrit ory to whi chhe canreturn a ndth atbe cau se th e Gazaco m m un ity is sm al l, h e wil l b e reco gn iz edba se d o n h is pa stin vo lv em en t wi th Fat ah an d wi ll be pe rs ecu te d b y m em be rs of Ha m as . He con ced es th athe can no t s ho w th atHam as pe rs ecu te d h im in th e p as t i n Gaz a. Abu ru waid a d idno t d es ig na te a co un try of rem ov al , andhe co nt en ds th atth e BIA erredby find in g tha t h e h adfai le d t o s ho w th athe wou ldbe un ab le to li ve in Sau di Arab ia , Jo rd an , or t he W es t Ba nk . He arg ue s tha t u nd er 8 1 U.S.C. § 1 23 1( b) (2 ) th e g ov ern m en t b ears th e b ur de n o f sh owi ng th ata pa rti cu la r na ti on wil l ac cep t an ali en . 2 Whe n t he BIA is su es a de ci si on , we rev ie w on ly tha t d eci si on , exc ep t t o t he ex te ntth atth e BIA ex pr es sl y ad op ts th e IJ ’s op in io n. Al Najjar v. Ash cro ft, 2 57 F.3 d 1 26 2, 1 28 4 (1 1t h C ir. 2 00 1) . Whe re, as he re, the BIA is su edit s o wn o pi ni on ,

After Aburuwa ida gradua ted from medical school in J erusa lem in 2004, he moved to J ordan 1 an d lived there for two year s while g etting additional medical training . He does n o t al l ege perse cution in J ordan or in Saudi Ara bia, where h e was born, but asser ts that he would not be permitted to retur

n to either of those countries. Aburuwa id a d o es n o t challenge the BIA’s and I J ’s denial of CAT relief , so that claim is 2 abandone d. Sepulveda v. U.S. Att’y Gen., 401 F .3d 1226, 1228 n.2 (11th Cir. 2005).

3bu t “ ex pl ic it ly agree d wi th sev eral fin di ng s o f th e imm ig rat io n ju dg e, we rev ie w

th e d eci si on s o f bo th th e Bo ardan d t he im m ig rat io n ju dg e as to th os e is su es .” Ay al a v . U.S. Att’y

Gen., 6 05 F.3d94 1, 9 48 (11 th Cir . 20 10 ). Und er the hi gh ly de fere nt ia l s ub st an ti al ev id en ce t es t, we co ns id er o nl y whet he r subs ta nt ia l ev id en ce s up po rts th e IJ ’s andBIA’s fi nd in gs an d “ no t whet he r th ere i s s ub st an ti al ev id en ce fo r so m e othe r

fin di ng th atco ul d h av e b een , bu t was no t, m ad e.” Ade fem i v . Ash cro ft, 3 86 F.3d10 22 , 10 29 (11 th Cir . 20 04 ) (quo ta ti on m ark s om it te d) . Evenif t he ev id en ce co ul d s up po rt m ul ti pl e co nc lu si on s, we m us t af firm th e BIA’s d eci si on un le ss th ere i s n o re as on ab le ba si s fo r it . Id. We will no t ov erturn t he IJ’s an d B IA’s fin di ng s o f factun le ss th e rec or d c om pe ls it . See Fo rg ue v. U.S. Att ’y

Gen., 4 01 F.3d12 82 , 12 87 (11 th Cir . 20 05 ). An as y lu m

ap pl ic an t qua li fie s as a refu ge e if he ha s s uf

fere d p as t pe rs ecu ti on , or h as a well -fo un de d fe ar o f fu tu re p ers ecu ti on , inhi s co un try of or ig in . Kazemzad eh v. U.S. Att ’y Gen., 5 77 F.3d13 41 , 13 51 (11 th Cir . 20 09 ). The ap pl ic an t b ears th e b ur de n o f pr ov in g t ha t h e is a refu ge e. Id . To es tabl is h as y lu m ba se d o n p as t p ers ecu ti on , he m us t s ho w th athe was p ers ecu te d o n acco un t o f a p ro te ct edgro un d. Id . Evenif h e can no t s ho w pas t p ers ecu ti on , an ap pl ic an t m ay

est ab li sh a well -fo un de d fe ar o f pe rs ecu ti onby sho win g t ha t the re i s a rea so nabl e p os si bi li ty tha t h e wil l b e p ers ecu te d i f he is returne d t o h is co un try 4of

ori gi n. Id . at 1 35 2. In ad di ti on to de m on st rat in g t ha t the re i s a r eas on ab le pr ob ab il it y

of afutur e th reatto hi s l ife or f reed om ba se d o n apro te ct edgro un d, th e al ie n a ls o m

us t s ho w th athe co ul d n otreas on ab ly relo cat e to a di ffer en t re gi on of th e co un try or, if

st at el es s, an ot he r pa rt o f hi s co un try of l as t h ab itua l re si de nc e, to av oi d t he th reat . See R ui z v . U.S. Att’y

Gen., 4 40 F.3d12 47 , 12 58 –5 9 (1 1t h Ci r. 20 06 ). W e h av e rec og ni zedth at“pe rs ecu ti on is anex tre m e co nc ep t, re qu iri ng m or e th ana few i so la te d i nc id en ts of v erb al ha ras sm en t o r in ti m id at io n, an d t ha t m ere ha ras sm en t d oe s n otam ou ntto pe rs ecu ti on .” Sep ul ve da , 40 1 F .3dat 1 23 1 (quo ta ti on s m ark s o m it te d) . “ Mi no r ph y si cal ab us e an d b rie f de te nt io ns do no t am ou ntto pe rs ecu ti on .” Kazemzad eh , 57 7 F .3dat 1 35 3; see als o Djo nd a v . U.S. Att ’y Gen., 5 14 F.3d11 68 , 11 71 , 11 74 (11 thCir . 20 08 ) (h ol di ng th atev id en ce th atanali enha d b een de ta in edfor36 ho ur s, b eat enby pol ic e o ffi cers , and su ffer edon ly scrat ch es an d b ru is es , di d n otco m pe l a f in di ng th atth e al ie n h ad be enpe rs ecu te d) . “ [E]vena st at el es s p ers on m us t s ho w per se cu ti onto be gra nt ed as y lu m .” Fed os se ev a v . Gon zal es , 49 2 F .3d84 0, 8 45 (7t h C ir. 2 00 7) . Abu ruwaid a’s ev id en ce tha t h e en du redon ly brie f de te nt io ns an d m in or in juri es whi le in Isr ael was n oten ou gh to est ab li shth athe su ffer edpa st pe rs ecu ti on . As fo r th e ev id en ce h e o ffer edto sh ow fe ar o f fu ture p ers ecu ti on , 5Abu ru waid a’s pa rti ci pa ti on in Fat ah las t o ccu rredab ou t ei gh t years ag o, fr om

20 01 to 20 03 whi le he was i n m ed ic al sch oo l i n J eru sa le m . Alth ou ghhe m ad e ge ne ral ass ert io ns ab ou t ev id en ce o f vi ol en ce b y m em be rs of Ha m as ag ai ns t m em be rs of F at ah , he was ne ve r ph y si cal ly harm edby m em be rs of Ham as , andhe fai le d t o s ho w th athe was l ik el y to be si ng le d o utby H am as forpe rs ecu ti on in th e fu tu re. See Sep ul ve da , 40 1 F .3dat 1 23 1; see als o C ru z-Di az v . I.N.S., 86 F.3d 33 0, 3 32 (4t h C ir. 1 99 6) (ob se rv in g t ha t ev id en ce o f ge ne ral vi ol en ce i n aco un try is no t en ou gh to sh ow a wel l-f ou nd edfear o f fu tu re p ers ecu ti on ). Furth erm or e, Abu ru waid a m ay

be rem ov edto a co un try rega rd le ss of wh ethe r itha s ac cep te d hi m . See J am a v . Im

m ig rat io n a ndCu st om s En fo rcem en t, 5 43 U.S. 33 5, 3 42 , 12 5 S.Ct . 69 4, 7 00 (20 05 ) (“Non acce pt an ce m ay su rel y be on e o f th e fac to rs co ns id eredin de te rm in in g wh ethe r rem ov al to a gi ve n c ou nt ry is im pr act ic ab le or in advi sabl e, bu t the st atut e d oe s n otgi ve itth e d is po si ti ve effe ctpe ti ti on er wis he s.”) . Subs ta nt ia l ev id en ce s up po rts th e IJ ’s andBIA’s fi nd in gs th atAbu ru waid a fai le d t o e st ab li sh th athe eithe r su ffer edpa stpe rs ecu ti on or h as a well -fo un de d fearof f utur e p ers ecu ti on . As a res ul t, we af firm th e BIA’s d eci si on th at Abu ru waid a was in el ig ib le forasylu m . Becau se Abu ru waid a d idno t qua li fy for as y lu m , he n eces sa ril y

fai le d t o s at is fy

th e m or e st rin ge ntst an da rdof p ro of for 6withh ol di ng of r em ov al . See Yuv. U.S. Att ’y Gen., 5 68 F.3d13 28 , 13 34 (11 th Ci r. 20 09 ). PETI TI ON DENI ED.

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