Anti-Muslim discrimination can target ideology and affiliation rather than phenotype

Evidence

If discrimination is holding him back, it doesn’t emanate from the paint of his skin. Instead, as Omar understands it, it must be ideologically driven, the fear and loathing of an upstart global Arabic news channel whose work was once lovingly described by Secretary of State Donald Rumsfeld as “vicious, inaccurate, and inexcusable.” Al Jazeera is unpopular in Washington’s circles of power—the United States bombed its offices in Kabul and Baghdad—and its disfavor seems to extend to American media as well. — Moustafa Bayoumi, How Does It Feel to Be a Problem? Being…, 721 (#exemplifies, via linked claim)

I take at face value a person’s or community’s identification as Muslim while acknowledging that non-Muslims, such as Sikhs, Hindus, and Arab Christians, are mistaken for Muslims based on stereotypes portrayed in the media and public discourse. While there is a robust literature on what constitutes religion, my analysis accepts Islam as a religion for purposes of examining the limitations of normative and legal protections of religious freedom in the United States. My analysis is based on ascriptive definitions of what constitutes Islam and Muslim identity. — Sahar F. Aziz, The Racial Muslim, 123 (#complicates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Deracializing Iranian discrimination as ‘Islamophobia’ obscures its racial character — Neda Maghbouleh, The Limits of Whiteness: Iranian…, 34; Housing discrimination affects both Black and nonblack Muslims more than any other Philadelphia group — Cyra Akila Choudhury, Racecraft and Identity in the Emergence…, 484; Mainstream anti-Islamophobia defense framed bias as cultural misunderstanding, not racism (+11 more)

Broader Connections

• Anti-Arab discrimination can target ideology rather than physical appearance #exemplifies (0.92) — Moustafa Bayoumi, How Does It Feel to Be a Problem? Being…, 721
• Ascriptive identity, not theological criteria, determines who gets targeted by anti-Muslim discrimination. #complicates (0.78) — Sahar F. Aziz, The Racial Muslim, 123