War Against The West; Face to face with Indonesia'smilitant--and eloquent--Muslims.

Byline: Mark Juergensmeyer (Juergensmeyer is a professor of global studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and author of "Terror in the Mind of God.")

When shots rang out in the streets of Banda Aceh recently, they showed that not even a catastrophic tsunami could smother the fires of Indonesia's divisive political life. Separatist movements have plagued the country since its inception more than 50 years ago. Now it also faces the scourge of terrorism associated with the rise of radical Islam. Since Indonesia is the world's largest Muslim country, the way in which it responds to these threats will help to determine whether the cultural clash between secularism and Islamic extremism is an isolated moment in history or destined to become an enduring global phenomenon.

This is one of several significant issues regarding the future of global Islam addressed in Tracy Dahlby's thoughtful and engaging tour through contemporary Indonesia, "Allah's Torch: A Report From Behind the Scenes in Asia's War on Terror" (320 pages. William Morrow) . Yet it is not a ponderous ride. The author, a former managing editor of NEWSWEEK International, combines the sharp sensitivities of a political observer with an old-fashioned flair for storytelling. Imagine Ted Koppel's sharp questions in the affable style of Mark Twain.

Outsiders know Indonesia not only as a steamy, languid garland of islands but also as a hotbed of activism. Dahlby looks at both sides of the political divide, and in the process brings us face to face with some of Indonesia's most militant anti-Western activists. These are not poor, rebellious thugs but some of Indonesia's best and brightest: students, young professionals and articulate religious intellectuals. And they are cheerfully eloquent on Dahlby's probing inquiries into why they ...