[ASCM V2008] Contemporary Islamic Civilization

I took the second (spring semester) of Contemporary Islamic Civilization.
George Saliba is a pleasant individual. He has a vivid manner of conducting his classes and if you make it to the end of the semester, you will enjoy a few classes of Arab music.
The first half of the semester revolves mainly around Arab/Islamic and other thinkers. The second part of the semester involves discussions about theatre, poetry and music.
Important note. Saliba expresses his personal understanding of the readings in class. These are subjective observations and must be taken with a grain of salt. He has apparent political inclinations that he subtly instills, so stay alert and don't take what he says for granted.
The exposure to a well-constructed diversity of thinkers is a positive element.
I would recommend this course to anyone who wishes to gain some insights into the Arab world. This was especially relevant in light of the developments in the Arab world. Saliba relates to contemporary issues too. On that note, Saliba often trails off topic to discuss an interesting example or topic. Though interesting and enriching - they won't appear in your midterm or final.
Discussion leaders vary, they grade differently and have different requirements so hope for the best.

Cheryl is a great indication of why the lecture system (and some of the Global Core) is broken...because she demonstrates how these classes should actually function. This section is a lot of work, but you learn a ton and get very, very good at completing long form assignments. Even just taking this class as a junior, I probably learned the most about good work, thinking, and writing habits in this class. Her weekly assignments can be excruciating in a packed week, but she gives you a full week to complete them, which seems fair. She also provides video (Youtube) content and a paper assignment to get the class thinking deeper about the material, while also giving an actual CONTEMPORARY account of Islamic cultures (a major failing of Professor Saliba's curriculum). A major theme of the course is the portrayal of Muslims in the media, and Cheryl's supplements help to show the progress that has been made since 1970 in giving the "Muslim world" (itself a challenged term) some kind of voice and agency. The larger paper assignment is, again, more work, but she gives a solid variety of options so a) she doesn't read the same paper over and over again (a testament to her passion) and b) the writer can choose a topic that suits his/her interests. Too bad she will not be TAing this class anymore, but you would be lucky to have her in another class (if you are up to the challenge)!

Saliba is a wackjob. He rambles on and on and on and doesn't seem to understand the concept of a comma or a period when he talks. He's the kind of professor you will talk about to your friends while quoting the funny stuff he says.

Write down everything on the slides and you will be fine. Three or four times a semester someone will ask him to go back to a slide they missed and Saliba will get pissed and turn off the powerpoint saying "Listen to me and not the slide!" Then when he puts the powerpoint back on, continue copying down the slides. On a side note, don't be the jerk that asks him to go back.

Go to class and discussion, attendance is required. Bring a computer and go on the internet when you get bored. Read enough that you can participate in discussion section so your TA doesn't hate you. Use Wikipedia to help you study, especially with the authors in CIC.

One thing I will say though, it's difficult to get a straight A because of the damn curve. I know people who have gotten 90+s on both the midterm and final and still got an A-. That said, it is pretty easy to get an A-/B+ provided you don't piss off your TA, and I'm guessing if you are looking to get in a class like the one I've described so far, an A- isn't exactly going to kill your GPA.

Saliba is a good natured, white-bearded little man in a cowboy hat and quite approachable. As a person you will find his humor infectiously endearing (He has a phrase: "Holy Tabouli!"). As a scholar he's, like every other professor at this institution, very remarkable. As a lecturer you will, at at least occasionally, no matter how studious you are throughout, be reduced to 1) surfing Facebook/online poker/Netflicks, 2) doodling on your notebook margins.

All in all if you're humanities-aversive and you want to get your history requirement out of the way either course, IIC/CIC is a good way to go and you inevitably get something out of it. Just go to class (Attendance counts.) Take his notes diligently and read them. I kid you not. From the midterm to the final of CIC I didn't read a half of the assignments. As long as you write what he says on the exams and you're specific and relevant in your evidence, you can get an A-/B+ easily enough.

I thought CIC was more interesting the IIC; it's more up-to-date in the events and probes more questions that have more relevance in the going-ons of the Middle East today. But CIC is structured somewhat less of a history class than IIC; you'll read much about political movements in the Arab World (he tends to focus mostly on the AW, to his chagrin) and literature (he's a big literature buff in both courses). I thought it was interesting to pull from so many different sources, but personally I would've liked to stick to a historical lens. If you want to learn more about Islamic Civ in South or Central Asia or Africa, this isn't really the course.

Disregard him in totality when he says, "Don't pay attention to my notes on the screen." Write them.

Honestly, this course was very disappointing.

It really takes an academic or philosophical approach to issues in the Islamic world. Rather than discussing the modern Islamic world concretely, the course focuses on the intellectual movements of Islamic (mostly Arab in the case of this course) thought over the course of the last 150 years. This was not bad, per se, just not what I expected.

What is bad is that Saliba is a horrendous lecturer. He doesn't plan out his lectures, goes on 20 minute digressions, and pays only lip service to the readings. He thinks making good powerpoints distracts students. One week, we did nothing but listen to Umm Kulthum. There is an attendance sign in sheet, so you can't skip too much.

The recitation was useful, but at only 50 minutes a week, we never had time to cover the all of the week's material.

Grading was arbitrary. The midterm and final were both not particularly in depth or demanding, so your grades depended on how your recitation leader liked your style of response.

Cheryl is a wonderful TA who puts in a lot of effort to make sure that you are getting the most out of the course. The homework assignments are more time-consuming in her section but they ensure that you will be prepared for the exam. She goes over the material thoroughly and provides the tools (videos, hw, etc) that allow you to get a strong grip on all the topics covered in class. She is also really fast at responding to e-mails which is really useful.

Cheryl is by far the most dedicated and energetic TA I've encountered at Columbia. It's true that her section has a much heavier workload than any of the others, but if you’re looking to really get something out of the class then I think it’s worth it. She is also a stickler for attendance and being on time, but she only has 50 minutes a week and manages to thoroughly go over all the readings and make time for discussion and student presentations in that short amount of time. The reading list for this class is very long, but Cheryl kept us on track so that we wouldn’t fall behind when it came time for the midterm and final. She also organizes 2 hour review sessions for the midterm and final on her own time, which I found extremely helpful in preparing for the exams. (She also brings home-made cakes and cookies to class, which is a nice reward for the extra work!)

If you’re not afraid of a heavy workload, can get to class on time, and really want to take something away from the class, then try to get into Cheryl’s section!

This class is a fantastic way to fulfill the Major Cultures requirement... in fact, it's a great class for anyone who likes having a high gpa, not doing a ton of work, and reading some relatively interesting material relating to the problems and debates in the twentieth century Islamic World. Professor Saliba's lectures are relatively boring and after the first few that give a broad overview of key issues (useful for the midterm) they are basically a summary of the readings. There is really no point in going to class after the midterm except to sign the attendance sheet (annoying) because the grading is based on discussion section attendance/participation, the midterm, and a final paper (that's right, no final exam!!). Therefore, once you figure out your paper topic, my recommended strategy is to come to class with no books, sign the attendance sheet, and walk out five minutes later pretending to go to the bathroom (that was what I did most of the time post midterm and I aced the class).
Do not take this class if you desire an intellectually honest debate on Israeli-Palestinian issues. I'm relatively pro-Palestinian but even I was offended by Saliba's obscene bias whenever the topic came up, though from what I hear his views are pretty standard for his department. I felt bad for some of the Jewish kids in that class. Look for opportunities to shamelessly trash Israel in your midterm essays; don't bother being subtle.

Don't hate on Professor Saliba. He has clear expectations and a great sense of humor - unlike most Columbia professors. His class can be boring and attendance is mandatory.....so bring other work to do! I wrote many papers while sitting in his class and you can totally absorb the information without taking notes. You will learn something in his class, I promise. It might not be the most enlightening hour and fifteen minutes of your life but it is an easy, 4 credit A that is completely worth the time. If you enjoy Princeton jokes and getting good grades, take this class.

First off, I think professor Saliba is one of the most talented professors I came across at Columbia. Actually, he's one of those professors that will have a life-long effect on the way you think of the Middle East. I took both his classes and I admit that I learned much more in the Intro to Islamic Civilization course. However, as a student of Arab descent, when I took his contemporary Islamic Civilization class, I didn't learn much. Not that Saliba doesn't introduce interesting material, but his contemporary course is very focused on Arab heritage and culture. If you're an Arab student, it almost feels like your listening to your grandma in the Middle East talk about the good ole' days of Beirut or Cairo. I personally thought the contemporary course hardly emphasized anything relating to Islam; it was a great overview of secular Arab culture. In other words, you won't learn much about terrorist groups or their origins or any of the modern Islamic extremism.

Saliba is actually a very funny man, but you will only understand his humor if you're of Arab descent. Believe me when I say this, but he will remind you of your grandparents back in the Middle East.

Last word of advice, don't take the contemporary class if you're of Arab descent or very familiar with Arab culture/ heritage because you won't learn much. It's definitely an easy A class if you're familiar with Arab culture. For the intro class, you will actually need to do some extra work regardless of your familiarity with Islam or Muslim heritage.

Saliba's lectures are dry, and it's hard to pay attention, especially in the second half of the semester when you know the information is irrelevant to your grade (there is no final). Saliba's class is light on the work, but he limits the number of flat As to about 25%. Which means that you have to take tests well, write good papers, and impress your TA to get a solid grade. I've been reading the other reviews and there is a very strange trend: the vast majority of the reviews paint Saliba's class as boring and easy, yet almost all the reviews have far more "Disagrees" than "Agrees." I wonder why that is...wouldn't be surprised is Saliba is lurking on these forums...

I'm torn between disgust and pity for Saliba. The first day of class, he revealed that attendance was mandatory. He them gave a ten minute scare speech about how he would know if we signed someone else's name on the attendance sheet. He's so naive. He's also baised...very baised. Though the readings present both sides of the issue, his commentary is mostly just his unsupported view of what's right and what's wrong. He just stands at his podium, king of the lecture hall. Sometimes, he stops mid-sentence because someone has made too much noise talking to his friend, or because someone has, after signing the attendnace sheet, made a break for the exit.

Saliba has these power point slides that are written in the same full sentence, choppy english that he speaks in. It's as if someone recorded him speak, and then typed up his words exactly. People copy down his slides word for word--Saliba hates this. At least once a class, he stops to chastise students--he claims it won't help on the midterm, which primarily consists of a few quotes from the reading that students must "comment" on. Despite Saliba's insistence to the contrary, notes on his power point slides are UNBELIEVABLY USEFUL for the midterm.

Perhaps the most absurd thing about this course, and what attracted me most to it, is that there is no final.. As someone who hates to work and loves an easy A, I thought this would be perfect for me. But, mandatory attendance + no incentive to pay attention + Saliba's empty threats --> my boredom/pity > pleasure from easy A/no work.

This review is meant to cover both halves of the sequence, Introduction and Contemporary. Both classes are run in an identical manner, with only one small difference (scroll down to "workload section for more details).

Professor Saliba is, simply, one of the finest professors I have had at this school. He is a kind yet quirky old man who has no problems talking one-on-one with you, despite what you may have heard about him. The courses he teaches deal with a region of the world that we hear about on the news all the time, yet have next to no "real" knowledge about - the Middle East and the Greater Islamic World. If you take these two classes you will learn a great deal about them, and many of your pre-conceived assumptions and stereotypes will be shattered. And Saliba's thought-provoking (yet hilarious) lectures and tangents only help you learn more. His occasional side comments will make you chuckle as well!

Introduction to Islamic Civilization, the first half of the sequence, covers the rise of Islamic Civilization from its humble beginnings (~600 AD) to the early 20th century. Contemporary Islamic Civilization picks up where Intro left off, and goes up to present day. Please note that this course is NOT an Islam class. There is a separate class for that under the Religion department. The class focuses on the civilizations that were created as a result of Islam, not the religion itself.

And what, may you ask, is Saliba's role in this class? Lectures consist of him going over the readings and analyzing them thoroughly, with the occasional tangent thrown in every now and then. During lecture Saliba uses a powerpoint with the main points of that day's lecture written on it. Now, here's a bit of advice - you don't necessarily have to write down anything. No notes, no nothing. What I did was take my laptop and scramble to write down every word written on the powerpoints. However, this is completely unnecessary and will only distract you from actually listening to what he has to say, which ironically will help you learn the material better than if you wrote down the notes. You should note that he is not the one who determines your final grade - that task falls to your TA, so pick a good one.

Also, don't pay attention to some reviews here that paint Saliba as some pro-Islamic, anti-Israeli bigot... one of the things that makes Saliba a great professor is that even though he does favor one side, when he teaches he gives an objective analysis of the history and circumstances. In particular, his explanation of the ongoing Arab-Israeli conflict, the Kurdish question, and Kashmir were very informative and neutral. They could not have been done any better. Anyone who disliked the man obviously had a problem with his personal opinions and not with his abilities as a professor, so don't listen to them.

All I have to say is, just give this guy a chance. You'll walk out both entertained and enlightened over a subject your fellow countrymen (assuming you are American) know nothing about. Personally, I will greatly miss having Saliba as a professor next year and would definitely take another class with him.

Hahaha Saliba. This man is hilarious. He is very small and he speaks in this microphone that broke EVERY SINGLE CLASS so each lecture was basically him waiting around for the tech people to come fix it, and then we still couldn't really hear his voice. However, that didn't matter because the lectures were disorganized, boring, and completely irrelevant to any reading which we did. I stopped taking notes the third class, and although attendance is mandatory and I did come and pay attention, lectures were mostly exercises in enjoying this man's hilarious streams of consciousness and random tangents. He did give us the chance to have dinner with him, and he was really knowledgeable and sweet in person, but as a professor he's kind of laughable. The TA sections were unnecessary except for the huge TA review session right before the (easy) midterm, but the readings in the coursepack were actually really interesting and relevant, and the paper was fun to write because it was completely self-directed. All in all, easy class, hardly any work, much easier than many other Major Cultures are.

I'm not sure I've ever been so bored in my life - seriously. Saliba's words are strongly biased in favor of Islam, but in all honesty his lectures mean very little when it comes to your grade. The midterm is based on readings from the coursepack (skim them, if that), discussions are completely based on your TA, and the final is a take-home 10-12 page paper on a topic of your choice pertaining to Islamic Civ. Attendance is mandatory (he has a weirdly photographic memory, plus you have to sign in each day), but especially after the midterm the number of people who actually go to class is a bit laughable. Most alternate signing in their group of friends, or they leave after they've touched the attendance sheet. Bring something to entertain you during lectures, but I'm guessing this will be as easy a Major Cultures class as you will get.

Her discussion section often lags, and I would consider her one of the harder TA graders. She doesn't push students to join in on discussion, and isn't really much of a help to the class. Since Saliba doesn't grade any work, expect to impress her.