SAN FRANCISCO (CN) - Asylum seeker Pejman Toufighi failed to convince the 9th Circuit to reopen his case based on his alleged conversion from Islam to Christianity.
Toufighi said his conversion would expose him to persecution in Iran now that circumstances in his home country have changed.
But when the immigration judge asked him about his new faith, Toufighi could not come up with any examples of what he had learned from allegedly attending Christian church every Sunday for four hours a day for at least the past year and a half. He could only describe Christianity in general terms, saying it was a religion of "peace, tranquility and love."
The circuit agreed with the lower court's assessment that "the respondent's alleged conversion from Muslim to Christianity is basically as a vehicle for him to apply for political asylum in the United States." See ruling.
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