Who is Step Vaessen? 

Step Vaessen is an author and journalist with more than 15 years of experience in Indonesia and Southeast Asia. Her work at Dutch television NOS and Al Jazeera English has taken her across the archipelago and into areas that few get a glimpse of, including most Indonesians.

Her book “Jihad With Sambal” has sold thousands of copies in her native country Holland, where she has spoken to sold-out crowds about what she has learned about tolerance, religion and the fragility of life in Indonesia.

More about this speaker

View Step’s Al Jazeera profile and blog, view her Wikipedia entry or follow on Twitter