Omid is pretty passionate about his work, and it definitely shows in his activism and class lectures. As a professor, however, there is much to be desired and he can often be heard swearing extensively on tangents that don't even relate to the issue in question on the syllabus. Grades are very vague, and essays rarely incite good feedback.

He's very nice and definitely has read extensively in his field of study. You'll learn some stuff about the Middle East region, specifically Iran. However, he would often go off topic and discuss politics (not directly relevant to the course), which got really annoying and frustrating. He's very liberal and it felt he was trying to force his agenda

Safi is a great lecturer, and he is very knowledgable in the field. However, halfway through the semester, he kind of decided to go off in a different direction than the syllabus; we didn't even get to do half of the required readings. He tended to go off on hour-long tangents about liberalism. If you're a conservative, get ready for an earful.

This class felt unorganized at times, more like a 2 1/2 hour long conversation than a lecture about anything specific. He can also be very polarizing. As someone who leans more conservative, I found some of his comments about republicans very off-putting. He also tends to repeat himself a lot. However, the class was easy and I learned quite a bit.

He's an awesome lecturer, especially if you are into the subject matter. That said, he's a rather arbitrary grader, and there are too few assignments that count for too much of your grade. He's also difficult to get a hold of.

Safi's best suited for talks like his Cornel West introduction - one-time-only. In class, he repeats the same "brilliant" thoughts over and over, and by the fifth go-round, they're less inspirational. That said, the class did change the way I thought about the world and I'm glad I took it, but I might've gotten the same from just a couple lectures.

Great Teacher. Lots of out of class reading that will help your knowledge of the history of Islam grow.

Professor Safi is a very passionate, very engaging lecturer. This class will open your eyes, and will challenge you to think differently and work hard. Keep up with the readings and you'll be fine. Go to lecture. It's worth it.

Safi's class is by far the most interesting class I have ever taken in my life. The lectures are always interesting, and although attendance is not mandatory, I would recommend attending. The material is thought provoking and controversial, and Safi always gives a different perspective that literally changed my opinion about the world. TAKE IT!

TAKE THIS CLASS. He is by far the best lecturer I've had and cares very much for his students. There is a lot of reading, especially for a 100 level class, but it's worth it. He helped me learn to think for myself, to never stop at the first answer and keep thinking deeply. Don't let his first lecture scare you away either ;)

Funny, controversial, insightful. Work load is high, but worth it.

Safi is a great lecturer & his classes are usually (not always) extremely interesting. I learned a lot this semseter, but i REGRET taking the calss. Sure, you learn lots of interesting things but the work is RIDICULOUS..the TA's are unclear on what they want. Too much reading and too many essays. Safi forgets that as students we have other classes.

Get used to F-bombs! And 200-300 pages of reading a week. I despised him all semester, but I can't say I haven't learned a ton from him. If you're looking for history, AVOID - all you'll learn about Ottomans is that Istanbul is cool and it's good to be the sultan. If you're looking for a lot of enlightenment about a controversial subject - TAKE!

Safi is an excellent professor. He will try to scare you on the first day to get you to drop the class, but don't! I learned so much from his class. There is a lot of reading to do for this class, but no exams only papers. Love his teaching style and he will help you with anything if you are not too scared to ask.

Amazing professor, his class completely astounded me with its depth and clarity. If you only take one religion class at UNC, take it with Safi.

Dr. Safi is the most enlightening and truly inspiring professor that I have ever had. Before this course, I knew virtually nothing about Islam; despite my major concentration in Latin America and Spanish, I now hold a special place in my heart for Islam and Dr. Safi. TAKE HIS CLASSES- it will be the best decision you make at UNC!

He is great. Even if I was sick I would not miss a single class. He is funny, controversial, clever... this class changed my perspective on the Middle-East, Islam, media etc... TAKE IT

Awesome prof. totally got my attention. Definitely take him if you can.

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