Opinion ID: 1468436
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Persecution by Muslim Palestinians

Text: The IJ further found the Al Yatims had not suffered, and would not likely suffer, persecution at the hands of Palestinian Muslims whom the authorities were unwilling or unable to control. The IJ noted many of the harms the Al Yatims identified were not based upon the Al Yatims' religion, but arose out of road rage, employment disputes, or generalized difficulties in the region. In so doing, the IJ discounted affidavits and evidence indicating Muslims had told Al Yatim's parents they knew about the asylum application and the Al Yatims would be harmed if they returned to the Palestinian territories. The IJ discounted this evidence because the affidavits were (1) double or triple hearsay, (2) not notarized or authenticated, and (3) their value was undercut by the fact Al Yatim's parents voluntarily returned to the region despite the supposed threats and persecution faced there. The claim of persecution by Palestinian Muslims presents a closer question than the claim relating to the Israeli government. Although the record might support a different conclusion than that drawn by the IJ and BIA, the record does not compel it, as required for us to grant relief. See Sultani, 455 F.3d at 881. The Al Yatims' situation is highly analogous to Lengkong v. Gonzales, 478 F.3d 859 (8th Cir.2007). In Lengkong, the petitioner was an Indonesian Christian, who had held leadership positions in her church. Id. at 861. On one occasion, Lengkong and her husband were stopped in their car by a group of men wielding sticks. Id. The men demanded the couple remove their Jesus is my Savior bumper sticker, and smashed the car windows before the couple could drive away. Id. In a separate incident, a group of people threw rocks at the couples' home and vandalized their fence. Id. During a third incident, Lengkong was singing in a choir at her church when a group of people attacked, vandalized, and burned down the facility. Id. Lengkong testified that, during all three of these incidents, the attackers yelled God is the Greatest! and in the home incident they yelled Finish the Christians! Id. at 861 n. 2. Finally, while riding a bus and wearing a cross necklace, a man approached Lengkong, pressed a knife against her, asked if she was a Christian, and only left her alone when she gave him a gold ring. Id. at 861, 863. Even in the face of such evidence of mistreatment on the basis of her religion, the court affirmed the BIA's denial of Lengkong's request for asylum. Id. at 864. The panel affirmed the IJ's determination that not all of the incidents were religiously motivated because this determination was supported by substantial evidence. Id. at 862. In so doing, the court deferred to the agency's interpretation that the attack on Lengkong's home was part of widespread violence, and not particularized to them. Id. The court also deferred to the agency's interpretation the attack on the bus was not religiously motivated, but was simply a criminal act of robbery, notwithstanding the fact Lengkong had been wearing a cross necklace and was asked if she was a Christian. Id. at 862-63. Finally, although the court recognized what Lengkong described was serious[,] the court concluded the injuries suffered by [Lengkong] do not conclusively rise to the level of persecution. Id. at 863. Likewise, although the Al Yatims had a hard life in the West Bank, the difficulties they faced do not rise to the level of persecution. Even more so than the petitioner in Lengkong, the Al Yatims mostly faced difficulties arising as a result of generalized violence. For example, even though Al Yatim's business involved making crosses, the IJ reasonably interpreted the vandalism as relating to an employment dispute rather than his Christianity, and the theft of his tools was simply generalized crime. Although Al Yatim's wife had been sexually harassed, such treatment does not equate with the extreme concept of persecution. See Setiadi v. Gonzales, 437 F.3d 710, 713 (8th Cir.2006) (Even minor beatings or limited detentions do not usually rise to the level of past persecution.). [3] Finally, the IJ reasonably discounted evidence Al Yatim's parents had told him threats had been made against the family. As the IJ noted, this evidence was unauthenticated, and the fact the parents willingly returned to the region undercut the viability of their claim. See Setiadi, 437 F.3d at 714.