Bondi
De Souza Silva v. Bondi
Opinion
Opinion
I. Factual and Procedural Background
A. De Souza Silva’s Experiences De Souza Silva has practiced Candomblé, an Afro- Brazilian religion, since she was a young teenager. She initially attended Candomblé ceremonies in secret; her parents were devout Catholics and did not approve of her attending these ceremonies. While attending these ceremonies, she met a woman named Simone, who eventually invited De Souza Silva to join her and her family in worship. She also met her husband this way. At age sixteen, she became pregnant with her husband’s child and moved out of her parents’ home to a nearby neighborhood where Simone lived. At first, De Souza Silva and her husband did not experience problems practicing Candomblé—within a year, however, “the dirty looks started.” Things turned tragic in the neighborhood when one day in 2010, individuals broke into Simone’s home and murdered Simone’s father because he practiced Candomblé. The intruders threatened everyone in the house and told them to move out of the neighborhood, stating that Candomblé practitioners were “witches” and “sorcerers” and not welcome in the community. Scared,