Arab American activists and a state representative are calling on the FBI and Attorney General Dana Nessel to investigate a brutal knife attack on a 7-year-old girl at a park in Detroit.
The suspect, Gary Lansky, a white man from Detroit, is accused of slashing the throat of Saida Mashrah, who is Arab American, at Ryan Park near Ford Road and the Southfield Freeway last week.
The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office charged Lansky with assault with intent to murder and felonious assault.
But state Rep. Alabas Farhat, D-Dearborn, and the Arab American Civil Rights League are demanding that Lansky be charged with a hate crime.
“Saida was targeted for the simple fact of existing as an Arab-American child,” Farhat said Wednesday. “This attack was a hate crime, and our justice system must treat it as such. Arab-American families should not have to live in fear while going to a park or trying to sleep at night.”
So far, the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office said there’s no evidence of a hate crime.
The investigation was handled by the Detroit Police Department.
Activists are urging the FBI and Michigan Attorney General’s Office to get involved to determine the motive.
On Tuesday, a Detroit judge denied bond for Lansky at a court hearing, saying he’s a danger to the community.
“We commend the court for denying bail to the perpetrator, but the fight for justice is far from over,” Mariam Chahara, executive director of the ACRL, said Wednesday. “The Arab American Civil Rights League trusts that state and federal authorities will investigate this case thoroughly, ensuring that every angle is examined, and that Saida and her family receive the justice they deserve. This attack is not only a tragedy for one family but a direct assault on our entire community, and we must make it clear that such hate will not be tolerated.”
Farhat commended the ACRL for the work it has done so far.
“The ACRL has shown tremendous courage and leadership by fighting for justice for Saida and all families in our community,” Farhat said. “We must do everything we can to protect people from hate and violence.”
Last week, the Council on American-Islam Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy group, also called on prosecutors to determine the motive.
“Regardless of the motive, this attack was a senseless act of violence that will impact the lives of Saida, her family, and all of the other children who were in the park that day,” CAIR-MI Executive Director Dawud Walid said. “While the charges faced by Garly Lansky are serious, we urge the Detroit Police Department and the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office to conduct a comprehensive investigation into this matter to determine whether hate was a motivating factor in the attack.”
