Sumanto Al Qurtuby is Assistant Professor of Cultural Anthropology at the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Saudi Arabia. His research interests include the study of Muslim politics and cultures, and the role religion plays in conflict, violence, peace, and public affairs.
One of the several welcome features of the book by Sumanto Al Qurtuby is its competent synthesis of this literature, its augmentation with some original research conducted in 2010, and the dispelling of myths and the offering of new insights along the way. [...] it is difficult not to admire how the author rose to the challenge of a very difficult ethnographic situation and managed to secure – especially as a Javanese Muslim – remarkably balanced access to diverse groups from both sides. Roy Ellen, South East Asia Research 2019.