Fouad Zeton came to the United States from Syria when he was 17 to pursue a professional boxing career. After nearly 20 years of beating some of the biggest names in the sport, he retired and now operates two restaurants in the French Quarter.
Zeton jokes about getting Syria’s president into the boxing ring. But his smile quickly fades when the topic turns to the atrocities occurring in Syria.
Zeton says the Syrian government has kidnapped and killed some of his relatives. He says his mother suffered a fatal heart attack during the stress of a bombing. Then there’s his cousin.
“He’s an imam in the mosque. Going to give the prayer early in the morning, they hang him up. They cut off his head,” Zeton told WGNO News from his office.
Zeton wants the United States to use military strikes to bring down the Syrian government.
“America, the super power, we have a duty,” Zeton said. “We have a responsibility.”
Some of Zeton’s employees are also from Syria. They want the U.S. to use all its military might — including ground troops — to bring down the Syrian government.
“Like Iraq,” one employee told WGNO News.
“Syrian people deserve their freedom and their liberty and justice in life like everybody else,” said Zeton.