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Bernard Lewis: Will Deliver Keynote Speech at ASMEA's Annual Conference

Washington, DC—Leading scholars of Middle East studies and African studies are set to gather in the nation's capital for the Association for the Study of the Middle East and Africa's (ASMEA) annual conference later this month where they will be joined by the preeminent authority in Middle East studies, Professor Bernard Lewis of Princeton University.

Hailed as "the world's foremost Islamic scholar" (Wall Street Journal) and as "the doyen of Middle Eastern studies" (New York Times), Professor Lewis's views on the issues facing the Islamic World inform the ranks of academia, policymakers and pundits.

Set for April 24-26, 2008 at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C., the conference is entitled: "The Evolution of Islamic Politics, Philosophy, and Culture in the Middle East and Africa: From Traditional Limits to Modern Extremes." It will feature a combination of panels and roundtables with scholars presenting new research findings on the importance of the Islamic influence in these regions, as well as a keynote speech from Professor Lewis.

As the conference's keynote speaker, Professor Lewis—who also serves as chairman of ASMEA—will speak to attendees about the future of these regions in a speech entitled Studying the Other: Different Ways of Looking at the Middle East and Africa.