Kirsten will discuss her newly-published book that examines Islamist, separatist, and communal violence across Indonesian history since 1945 through six case studies. It asks why conflict only emerged in some parts of Indonesia despite the shared history. Looking at where the violence is located not just in a geographic sense but above all in a conceptual sense, it explores Islamist, separatist, and communal violence in relation to the notions of national imaginary and belonging.
Kirsten is a professor in the International History Department at the London School of Economics. She works on ethno-religious violence, communal and separatist conflicts, insurgency and counter-insurgency, as well as militant Islamism in Indonesia. She is also an AIS Council member.