A rule of the internet with few exceptions: if the defense against a charge of racism is merely that the targeted group is not a "race", then the charge of racism is correct.
Not really, like fascist racist tends to be a term thrown around far too much as a common slur.
It is sensible to use another term than racism if you describe hatred and/or prejudice against a non-racially defined group (like a religion or an ethnic group with broadly similar racial origin). Racism carries a powerful stigma so people are tempted to use it for all sorts of related phenomena and that is hardly constructive. You end up with Scottish racism against the English or Yoruba racism against Hausas and such ludicrous things if you go down that road.
The idea that all ethnic or etno-religious hatred or prejudice is "racist" makes the term meaningless. Applying it to things like Christians hating Muslims and vice versa even more so.
