CALIFORNIA IN BRIEF : SAN FRANCISCO : Egyptian Loses Bid for Political Asylum

The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld denial of political asylum to an Egyptian citizen who said he was persecuted at home by Muslims because he is a Coptic Christian. Amir Ghobrial had told the Board of Immigration Appeals of being stoned at age 14 by Muslims and of being beaten while a university student. He testified that Christians in Egypt fear attending church and wearing crosses, and their churches are sometimes bombed or burned. However, the court ruled that “Evidence of widespread tensions and generalized violence between Muslims and Christians in Egypt does not establish a well-founded fear of persecution.”