Islamophobia targets Muslims and anyone merely perceived as Muslim.

Evidence

Islamophobia is a form of discrimination, bias, and racism against Muslims and consequently those who appear to be Muslim that relies on stereotypes of Muslims and Islam that can result in their unequal treatment. Islamophobia is structural and can be seen in American social structures, laws and policies, media narratives, and ideologies. — Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, Countering and Dismantling Islamophobia, 214

Categorization

  • DEFINE: The operative definitional move is the phrase ‘and consequently those who appear to be Muslim’ — the misidentification clause is what distinguishes this framing from bias-against-adherents definitions.
  • XREF: Connects to the longstanding finding that Sikh, Arab, and South Asian Americans are targeted by anti-Muslim bias regardless of actual faith.
  • SHARE: The ‘those who appear to be Muslim’ clause is the exact precision point a reporter or editor would want quoted when drafting a style-guide entry.