2nd Circuit Holds Asylum Applicant Need Not Have Religious Knowledge

In Rizal v. Gonzales, (2nd Cir., March 21, 2006), the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals reversed an immigration judge's denial of asylum to an Indonesian citizen who claimed that he would be persecuted in Indonesia because of his Christian beliefs. The Washington Post today reports on the case. Rizal's asylum claim had been rejected because he incorrectly answered a number of questions about Christianity. He said Jesus was crucified in Bethlehem, not Jerusalem, and he did not know which disciples wrote the New Testament. Asked who prepared the Ten Commandments, Rizal answered Jesus instead of Moses. But the Court of Appeals said that people who identify with a religion but lack detailed knowledge about it can still be persecuted for their religious affiliation.