‘I Don’t Feel Safe Any More’: Muslim Family Relives Playground Horror
In October 2024, Yemeni American mother Amirah Sharhan was preparing dinner at home in the Dearborn-Detroit area when her daughter, Saida, ran inside bleeding from a deep cut across her neck. The child had been at a nearby playground with her grandmother when a man approached her, grabbed her, and slit her throat with a knife.
“My mind flipped. I didn’t know where I was,” Amirah recalled. “My son was screaming: ‘Don’t die! Don’t die!’ I didn’t even know how to dial 911,” she said, The Guardian reported.
The accused attacker, 73-year-old local resident Gary Lansky, was arrested shortly after the incident. He was later deemed competent to stand trial on charges including assault with intent to murder.
Saida required 20 stitches and continues to suffer from nightmares and emotional trauma. Amirah says her daughter and mother were targeted because they were visibly Muslim, noting the attack took place two days after the anniversary of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
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“For a mom to see her daughter’s throat open. It was terrifying,” Amirah said. “He’s a 73-year-old. How could he do that to a little child?”
Muslim and Arab American community leaders expressed outrage that the attacker was not charged with a hate crime. Many say this reflects a broader pattern of authorities failing to address violent Islamophobia, leaving communities feeling abandoned and unsafe.
Islamophobic incidents have surged across the country since October 2023. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) reported a record 8,658 complaints last year, ranging from verbal harassment to physical attacks. Several high-profile cases have involved Muslim children being targeted.
Dearborn, the first majority-Arab-American city in the US, has become a particular flashpoint. Local mosques and officials in Dearborn and nearby cities have reported repeated threats, including phone calls vowing to “burn down” mosques and social media posts encouraging violence against Muslim worshippers.
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In separate cases, individuals in Texas and Virginia were charged after threatening to attack mosques in the area. Fox News and other right-wing outlets have repeatedly singled out Dearborn, fueling hostility with segments on mosque noise complaints and attacks on Arab American leaders.
In Dearborn, fear of Islamophobic violence is coupled with anger over US support for Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, where tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed. These issues have reshaped political attitudes: some Arab Americans who previously supported Donald Trump in 2024 now say their support is wavering, citing disappointment and a sense of betrayal.
Despite fear, many residents are standing firm. Protests have continued in Dearborn, and local leaders are speaking out. Michigan’s lieutenant governor, Garlin Gilchrist, recently called the war on Gaza a genocide.
For families like the Sharhans, life remains changed. Saida has transferred schools and no longer visits the playground near their home.
“She told me it’s the same dream all the time – the park is full of blood and [the attacker] telling her: ‘I’m coming back for you,’” Amirah said.
“I don’t feel safe any more,” she added. “Like I used to.”
Source: Agencies
