Sahi

MEMORANDUM **

Varinder Singh Sahi, a native and citizen of India, petitions for review of the Board of Immigration Appeals’ (“BIA”) decision summarily affirming the ruling of an Immigration Judge (“IJ”) denying his application for asylum, withholding of removal, and relief under the Convention Against Torture (“CAT”). We have jurisdiction under 8 U.S.C. § 1252 .

Where, as here, the BIA affirms without an opinion, we review the IJ’s decision directly. See Lopez-Alvarado v. Ashcroft, 381 F.3d 847, 851 (9th Cir.2004). We review for substantial evidence and will uphold the IJ’s decision unless the evidence compels a contrary conclusion, Chen v. Ashcroft, 362 F.3d 611, 616 (9th Cir.2004), and we deny the petition for review.

In arriving at her adverse credibility determination, the IJ cited to several inconsistencies in Sahi’s testimony as well as Sahi’s inability to succinctly articulate certain tenets of the Sikh faith. Given the deference that is due to the IJ’s adverse credibility finding, see Chebchoub v. INS, 257 F.3d 1038, 1042 (9th Cir.2001), we cannot say that the record compels us to hold that Sahi was a credible witness. The IJ gave specific and cogent reasons for his…