Big Names Turn Out for Big Birthday Talk in Philly

This afternoon the Park Hyatt Philadelphia at the Bellevue will be the site of a conference hosted by the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia and entitled Islam and the West. It's being held in honor of the 90th birthday of Professor Bernard Lewis, a noted scholar of the Middle East and currently Princeton's Cleveland E. Dodge Professor Emeritus of Near Eastern Studies. Showing up for the birthday party/deep political discussion will be plenty of other experts on the Middle East and Islam, not to mention celebrities like former host of CNN's "Inside Politics" Judy Woodruff, and such luminaries of Western politics as Senator Joseph Biden, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, and Mr. Darth Vader himself, Vice President Dick Cheney. Mr. Cheney isn't exactly going to be hanging around having drinks with everybody afterwards, though; according to his schedule, he's arriving at the Philadelphia International Airport at 11:15AM, speaking at the Hyatt at 12:10PM, and leaving from the airport again at 12:50PM. Wow. He may actually have to fold time or something to pull that off. Well, either that, or deliver a speech that's only three words long. Which we hear he's been known to do in the past...

Anyways, the point is, it's bound to be an interesting afternoon, and a discussion of great importance to the future, not only of our nation, or of the nations in the Middle Eastern region, but to the future of the world. Looks a bit expensive to attend, though. Maybe there'll be a DVD of it coming out in stores within the next few months? Or at least a Cliffs Notes version?

Islam and the West
Park Hyatt Philadelphia at the Bellevue (Broad and Walnut)
Schedule available at 215.561.4700, or by email at info@wacphila.org
$75-$325

Image Credit: Rotten.com