While we were down there, a member of the reconstruction group we were working with was showing us where Hurricane Katrina affected New Orleans the most. As we drove in an area close to the Ninth Ward, a friend pointed out a sign for a paint contractor.
Zeitoun was the name on the sign.
She then told me about a book that was about the man who owns the company and recommended I read it.
I recommend the same to you.
The book chronicles Zeitoun's life as a background for the reader - from his childhood in Syria, to meeting his wife Kathy in New Orleans.
As Hurricane Katrina approaches, Kathy and their children leave the state to find someplace safe to stay while Zeitoun stays behind to take care of their house and client's houses in the community.
Zeitoun then goes missing.
He is judged based upon his religion and ethnicity and ends up getting arrested because he is considered a terrorist - why else would he stay in New Orleans during Katrina after all?
He is treated poorly at each of the locations he is held at. He cannot contact his family, the guards don't respect their religious needs and sometimes don't eat, they're susceptible to cruel punishments, and even though he is hurt, they will not allow Zeitoun to see a doctor. Just to name a few.
After finding pity in a stranger, Zeitoun is able to get a message to Kathy that he is alive and in jail. She, in turn, contacts a lawyer and many friends to act as character witnesses in order to free her husband.
The book clearly details the situation a little bit more, but as I read this I was infuriated at the kind of treatment this family received. Not only are there the presumptions that Zeitoun must be a terrorist for being Muslim and Syrian, but there is also a theme of discrimination. Kathy, a Louisianian who converted to Islam from being Baptist, is even judged for her attire.
Discrimination. Racism. Religious intolerance. Prejudice. All of these are very real in American society against Arabs and Muslims.
I don't want to get on a soapbox, but I leave you with this food for thought.
“Every time a crime was committed by a Muslim, that person's faith was mentioned, regardless of its relevance. When a crime is committed by a Christian, do they mention his religion? ... When a crime is committed by a black man, it's mentioned in the first breath: 'An African American man was arrested today...' But what about German Americans? Anglo Americans? A white man robs a convenience store and do we hear he's of Scottish descent? In no other instance is the ancestry mentioned.” -Zeitoun
Think about it.
Would you agree?
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