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Laurie Mylroie - Embedded Character Flaw

Reader comment on item: Laurie Mylroie's Shoddy, Loopy, Zany Theories – Exposed

Submitted by Bouvier Renee (United States), Mar 20, 2009 at 15:22

I had the pleasure (and sometimes displeasure) of spending two semesters studying with Laurie Mylroie during the summer of 1979 at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem under the tutelage of Professors Amatzia Baram and Yonah Alexander. At the time, Ms. Mylroie was a vibrant 26 year old woman just starting her graduate studies at Harvard University. I was a vibrant young 23 year old just having completed two distinguished programs in France at the Sorbonne and the University of Tours before continuing my studies at the University of Pennsylvania.

What struck me as strange was the very fact that she created an entourage of not-too-bright, nineteen-year-old students easily assuaged and swayed by her academic credentials. These nineteen year olds literally danced to her beck and call, so to speak. I felt Mylroie's wrath, when I admonished and appropriately put one of her groupies in her rightful place.

We were in Hebron during the Islamic holiday of Ramadan interviewing a formerly jailed Palestinian medical doctor. Because I suffered from the potentially fatal disease, lupus, I was forced to drink water to take medication to allieve chronic abdominal pain (vasculitis of the colon). One of Mylroie's groupies verbally attacked me in front of two professors and this Palestinian doctor for taking my medicine in his presence. Her little groupie actually would not shut her mouth until I literally threatened her with possible physical force. As a consequence, the director of the academic program called me to his office, but I was able to make a deal with him, which turned into Mylroie's disadvantage.

Thanks to Mylroie and her favorite female, nineteen year old student, I was given the time to go off on my own to perform most valuable fieldwork in Arab East Jerusalem and in the West Bank without having the hindrance of a crazy woman and her groupies. After the episode, Mylroie was actually afraid to come near me. If she did speak with me, she stood at least seven feet from me. How she ever succeeded in swaying so many people, especially men, is beyond my comprehension. It just demonstrates that some men are just as cheap as women, when it comes to the opposite sex. What other explanation is there?

I am astounded that she got so far. But thanks to crazy Laurie Mylroie and her young groupies, I was able to bond with some Palestinian Arab locals, creating friendships now lasting decades through marriage, childbirths, sickness, and health. These friendships I so dearly cherish. In spite of crazy Mylroie and her groupies, I was able to bond with a people I was inculcated to fear and hate.

I would love to sit down and speak with the men, who were formerly so assuaged by her. What was it that drew you to her? She was never a brilliant woman. What was it?

Submitting....

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Reader comments (18) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Sad, actually [64 words]Danger6Jul 3, 2014 14:47215754
Reading Isikoff/Corn book Hubris and Mylroie's name appears [62 words]Christopher LinesAug 6, 2011 19:03188122
Who needs evidence when you can use words like "shoddy", "loopy", "zany" [51 words]J. AdamsAug 26, 2010 00:25177287
1Laurie Mylroie - Embedded Character Flaw [475 words]Bouvier ReneeMar 20, 2009 15:22152536
A Fiction [38 words]Laurie MylroieAug 25, 2009 09:17152536
Laurie Mylroie [143 words]Renee BouvierSep 29, 2009 14:26152536
Laurie Mylroie vis-à-vis Daniel Pipes [410 words]Renee BouSep 29, 2009 15:23152536
Renee Bouvier's Error [173 words]Laurie MylroieSep 30, 2009 13:42152536
2Laurie Mylroie is right [167 words]drzzDec 22, 2008 20:46145691
Where There is Smoke......OKC [68 words]Joseph FalcoJan 30, 2009 10:47145691
Agree with Drz [84 words]NicoleMar 31, 2010 14:52145691
How about some substantive arguments? [79 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
bill uzzleMay 29, 2008 14:09130475
Don't you're putting in on a thick? [78 words]Peter KauffnerMay 12, 2008 11:22128454
Mylroie doesn't go far enough [118 words]mitchell porterMay 10, 2008 08:55128288
Laurie Mylroie and the Facts [200 words]JonnyJun 25, 2008 07:23128288
The MSNBC story had nothing to do with Saddam [60 words]Jon HMar 3, 2009 21:58128288
1look to the hate out of all islam countries. [109 words]Phil GreendMay 8, 2008 21:38128170
On the subject of the Hateful [102 words]Mikhael BareliJun 7, 2008 12:27128170

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