Religion Should Bring Peace

A riot occurred in Cilegon was reported to trigger by religious coercion. Many people were killed because they did not want to convert to Islam. Such incident had also happened in Manado in 1876. The riots occurred because the Muslim Buwol people forced believers of other religions to convert to Islam.

Footnote: one of the news in Tuesday Edition, November 20, 1888 mention about religious violence in Cilegon, Banten - widely known in Indonesia as Banten Peasant Revolt 1888. This event was one of major historical event in Indonesia, during 19th century. During 19th century there was widespread dissatisfaction among peasantry during Dutch colonialism, there several reason because of high taxes and many millenarianism or messianic movement gained much influence over the oppressed peasantry. They are many of peasant revolt especially in Java, such as in Banten, in Bogor, or many other places in Java. Most of the leader of so called "peasant revolt" was led by hajj or imam that many of them, declared himself as Ratu Adil/Heru Cokro (The Messiah) or Imam Mahdi.

This peasant religious revolt in Banten, later crushed by Dutch colonial army. But this kind revolt has devastating effects, this kind of revolt later then spread in many places in Java. The history of The Banten Peasant Revolt 1888 later known because of Sartono Kartodirdjo, a notable Indonesian historian written a book about The Banten Peasant Revolt 1888, this was his dissertation in The University of Amsterdam.