A Muslim mother and her 7-year-old daughter remained stunned and in disbelief after they say a man slashed the girl with a knife in the throat.

It happened while the girl was playing at Detroit’s Lloyd Ryan Playground. Miraculously, she survived.

“The guy was coming up to me with his hands behind his back, and he just pulled my head up, and he slid the knife on my throat,” the girl, Saida Mashrah told CBS Detroit with her mother by her side.

The Council for American Islamic Relations called it a “a senseless act of violence that will impact the lives” that will impact not only the family but all the children in the park.

They are asking the police to conduct a thorough investigation to see if this is a hate crime.

“At this time, we don’t have any information that supports hate crime charges,” Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Maria Miller said to NBC News.

The Detroit News reports that Gary Lansky appeared in court Thursday to face charges of assault with the intent to murder.

Bail has been set at $2 million dollars.

The suspect is 73 years old.

The girl’s mother says she is having nightmares and both of them are having trouble sleeping.

I only get two hours of sleep. It’s like he’s coming back to get them, get my other children. I feel so scared,” said Amirah Sharhan.

The family says 20 stitches in Saida’s neck are expected to be removed in a week.

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