Shoaib’s case is one among many that have surfaced in the last few years, where a Muslim vendor has been harassed, assaulted, abused and discriminated against.
In many such cases, the vigilantes explicitly say, like Dhoni, that it is while making the payment that they learnt of their Muslim identity. But it isn’t just digital payments that have left Muslims of the poorer social strata trying to earn a living vulnerable, but other platforms too. The Quint has found multiple incidents of bias, discrimination and assault that delivery agents, cab drivers, and service providers have been subjected to, based on their Muslim identity.