<p>Waleed : Why are you taking a GAP year despite getting in NUS?</p>
<p>Hi guys im kind of new here, not so sure bout hw to go about things. i am an a level students studying in beaconhouse.i would relly appreciate some help for admissions into Mit thanks. sorry for being a bit too direct at the start maybe i'll learn as i spend time here</p>
<p>hey if any of you fellow pakistanis have questions about admissions or anything plz contact me (PM). I had to go through all this last year and espeically I can help witn Fin. Aid cus i needed quite a lot and had to do a lot of research.</p>
<p>Hi guys, I am giving my A levels this November. Can someone tell me how much do you need in your A levels to get into NUS/NTU. Are SAT IIs necessary for NUS?</p>
<p>to be safe - NUS AAA , NTU BBB i think</p>
<p>NTU BBB:eek: Then how are they able to maintain such standards if their Cutoff grades are so low?
BTW you need SAT IIs only if you are applying with Predicted grades, right?</p>
<p>Hi guys, I'm new here (in fact this is my first post :)). I am from Bangladesh and I would really like to major in Economics. My stats are posted below:</p>
<p>1) O'Levels: 10 A's (highest nationwide mark in Eng. Lang.)
2) A'Levels: 4 A's at A2 Level and 1 A at AS Level. My marks are pretty good- Chem (559/600) Econ (561/600) Phy (592/600) Maths (588/600) F.Maths (288/300)
3) SAT I: results not out, but expecting 2250+
4) SAT IIs: giving them in December</p>
<p>I am applying to NUS too, so can someone tell me how good my chances are of getting in? Do they consider A'Level marks or only grades (would be a real shame if they considered just the grades since I worked really hard to get my marks up :))?</p>
<p>I am also applying to a couple of universities in Hong Kong i.e. Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and Chinese University of Hong Kong. I wonder if there is anyone who can tell me more about these universities? Also, if someone could suggest some good universities in the Asia-Pacific region which has relatively low costs and/or has a good scholarship scheme it would be most helpful.</p>
<p>ICC Champions Trophy
Can't wait.
Lets see who wins.
I think it was quite impressive that we won against Sri Lanka, considering that two of our top notch bowlers weren't playing and Inzi due to ban.</p>
<p>No, we don't support terrorism. Islam support an eye for an eye policy.</p>
<p>BTW, has anyone taken SAT Chemistry? Did any of you receive a high score?
If you did, what did you do to prepare?</p>
<p>
[quote]
No, we don't support terrorism. Islam support an eye for an eye policy.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Can you elaborate it further:-</p>
<p>9/11 for ___________ ;7/11 for ______________ ;
London Bombings for ______________.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Islam support an eye for an eye policy.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>"An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind".. Btw, I think terrorism is a result of the "eye for an eye" policy..</p>
<p>where are u guys getting this from?? Islam DOES NOT support an eye for an eye policy!!! </p>
<p>Eid Mubarak to everyone</p>
<p>
[quote]
where are u guys getting this from?? Islam DOES NOT support an eye for an eye policy!!!
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I didn't think so either. However, I figured austin probably knows more about Islam than I do ( since I am not Muslim )</p>
<p>Eid Mubarak to all!</p>
<p>well he is wrong because I am Muslim and I know that that is incorrect </p>
<p>again I dont konw where you are getting this from because it is wrong.</p>
<p>Keep the thread neutral. please. If you'd like to discuss Islam and religious issues, make your own thread. Thanks.</p>
<p>What's the relation between this discussion and Neutrality of the webboard?
Web boards can never be neutral; even if they are the discussion was about terrorism which would obviously involve religion(Islam in this case). Nothing Offending.</p>
<p>I can't believe that Islam doesn't supports eye for an eye. Routinely we hear about shariat courts awarding punishments in Saudi Arabia. These are always on eye for an eye policy(quiet literally!).</p>
<p>In India when a muslim women was raped by his father-in-law, Darul-ulm-Deoband(The biggest & most prestigious madarsa outside Saudi Arabaia) issued a fatwa for the women ordering her to accept the rapist as her new husband and her husband(orignal) as her son.</p>
<p>The problem essentially lies how you interpret quran or the hadis. Darul-ulm-Deoband teaches the most fundamentalist, narrow, puritan, rigid, oppressive version of Islam that exists anywhere in the world today. In one fatwa it suggested that Jews were responsible for the 9/11 attacks. Darul-Uloom<code>s rigid interpretations of Shariah law are notorious, but immensely influential - so much so that the victim, Imrana, a woman under unimaginable pressure, has said she will abide by the seminary</code>s decision in spite of the widespread outcry in India against it.</p>
<p>Nevertheless i would second jai's comment that some violent policies of islam are responsible for the terrorism we see today.</p>
<p>By the eye for an eye policy, I meant that if you steal something significant, you will get your hands cut off. Now you might decry this supposedly 'harsh' policy but really, if you implement it, it guarantees good to the whole community. Remember there are 24 conditions before your hands will be cut off. So if I steal a penny, they will not go like "ooo, you stole a penny, hand off! now!"
Islam strongly denounces terrorism. If you kill an innocent person, you can in no way go to heaven. You will go to hell, no matter what.
There is a reason why Islam is the fastest spreading religion. Started spreading even more rapidly after 9/11. After 9/11, all the Qurans were sold out. None of the religions uphold terrorism. If any of them did, then nobody would follow that religion.
We don't support Qaeda, terrorism in any way. btw haven't the crusaders brutally murdered the Moors (Muslims and Jews) with their cross-shaped swords.
10,000 innocent people in Iraq have died. Did we find any WMDs?
Was Iraq connected to Qaeda (besides the fact that they both have the alphabet 'q'?
Hogwash! A blatant lie! It's just a means to stealing oil.
What about the holocaust in Palestine and Lebanon.
go to fromisraeltolebanon.org and see for yourself.
Now we are all Asians and we should unite to fight terrorism. No reason we should be divided.
Peace out</p>
<p>Abhishiv, the reason I asked to keep the thread "neutral" devoid of political/religious discussions is that it defies the purpose of this particular thread. (if anything, take the "collegeconfidential" term literally).</p>
<p>There will be several responses to your remarks, and again, they wont help anybody here. Just for the sake of it, you'd know that there are issues with Hinduism as well (I'm assuming you're Hindu from your name/nick). From sati, to the caste system and treatment of widows et al. </p>
<p>I'm personally against the idea that any religion would preach such things as a caste where humans can be considered "untouchables". These concepts are essentially the fruit of distortion on behalf of us, humans. The caste system was a beautiful idea that could've solved so many social problems. Instead, literal translation only created more problems. The same applies to Islam. Muslims themselves (as your quote the madarasa's fatwa) are responsible for the current state of Islam, just as Hindus are responsible for the caste system mess. </p>
<p>It takes education to learn the discern bw right and wrong. I know several Brahmins here at MIT who don't give a damn about what their caste is. And I'm sure you know Muslims who don't believe that the so-called freedom fighters are Jihadis in the true sense. </p>
<p>Abhishiv, I appreciate the fact that you understand the problem lies in interpretation of the Quran/Gita/Bible. Then you stump me with your comment on the "violent policies" of Islam.</p>
<p>Anyway, I've been engaged in such discussions several times - they don't help anyone. Let's just try to move towards a more constructive discussion on this message board atleast.</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>My two pennies
I am no religious scholar, but I think I do know a bit of Islam to clarify.
Firstly, the use of the word support by Austin I think is not appropriate! Islam does say, eye for the eye, but it also says that the greater reward is for those who forgive!
I dont see Abhishiv or for that matter anyone raising these points!</p>
<p>As for 9/11 bombings and all of the events brought forth, it is a pity that you are comparing these events with Islam itself. Islam does not call for killing innocent people! Thats that! The Quran explicitly says that if you kill a person it is as if you have killed that whole of humanity. </p>
<p>And as for the concepts of Jihad and all; Jihad is a struggle and not necessarily holy war. However, Islam does say, fight against those who fight against you, but do not transgress limits. Anyone with a little knowledge of grammar (and I hope u people have plenty since you have, or would be taking SATs) would know that this is the first rule of self-defense.
These verses, and a few others have been quoted by various people to malign Islam, to show it is inhumane and all, but if u look at all the major religions, they do have some teaching that deal with war, including the Hindu scripture of Vedas
and for that matter the bible too.</p>
<p>Islam does NOT support Terrorism! At most, it is the misinterpretation by some misled people.</p>
<p>My humble advice; you live in a free world! Open the book (the Quran) and see for yourself what it has to say. If you go by what the media propagates, no one can set you right.</p>
<p>Correct me if wrong but, Islam started spreading from Saudi Arabia. Arabs defeated the Persian empire forcing the Zoroastrians out of their country. Arabs then conquered Sindh and Punjab and imposed a tax(Jajiya) on Non-Muslims. A vast population in this region thus converted to Islam either due to force or because they were unable to pay the tax. That’s the how Islam became the fastest growing religion. Anyways converting someone into your religion isn’t good, Christians destroyed the Inca Culture during christization of Chile.</p>
<p>The total number of Christians is growing at about 2.3% annually. This is approximately equal to the growth rate of the world's population. Islam is growing faster: about 2.9% and is thus increasing its market share. Growth of islami is a result of their extremely high rates of population growth and not because of any ideological cause.</p>
<p>I would term the civvilians killed in Palestine/Lebanon as terrorist, they may not be in direct conflict with the Israeli Forces but the fact that they provide food/shelter to Hamas/Hijbllah justifies the action taken against them. After all Israel is a long standing Victim, not an aggressor. And people of Iraq are now in a lot better conditions then they were under Saddam.</p>
<p>Laila, I am not selling a propaganda against Islam, I am just expressing my views on a subject that concerns us all. The subject was initially Terrorism which automatically involves Islam as some stage. As far as Caste system is concerned you are right about it, it’s really really wide spread here, and even the educated discriminate against them. Things have improved since ’47 but it’s still a mess. Hopefully Caste system would be abolished from here in the next 50 years or so. Sati and ill treatment of widows are non existent now; the last case of sati was recorded in ’87. As far as treatment of widows is concerned you will only get to see that in Deppa Mehta’s movies, she too probably used the timeframe of 1930s in Water. I don’t want to go into “my religion v/s your religion” game but I don’t think that there’s some sort of connection between Hinduism (Caste system/Sati etc.) and Terrorism.
Weren’t those who plotted London bombings not well educated?</p>
<p>“Violent policies of Islam”:, it hardly matter what the Quran really says what matters is the type of Islam practiced in most countries of the world., Quran was written in a different timeframe in a different context. Take marriages for example, at that time it was more a necessity to keep more then one wives. I can’t see why such law should be still practiced in India and Pakistan. But still muslims are adamant about it. Quran says about that all(at least muslims) are equal still Muslims of Arabic origin have special laws framed for them here.
Personally i wouldn't like to follow teaching of something that's out of context now, be it vedas or Quran.</p>
<p>Teachings about war are mainly present in Western religions(Jihad, Crusade). Concept of war on thebase of religion is inexistent in Eastern(Indic) Religions. Religions of Indic origin such as Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, and Jainism do not hold teachings that advocate conversion as a form of expansion, although they accept anybody to join their faiths. In Indic religions you could be afollower of more then one faith, i am both an hindu and aesthetic. This inclusivism is in direct contrast to the belief that the ordained path in the book is the only true paths, found in exclusivistic belief systems like Christianity and Islam. Thus the Indic religions don’t have teachings of war against Non-Hindus/Shiks/Buddhists.</p>
<p>Of course Islam doesn’t supports terrorism, if it would then it wouldn’t be Politically correct. Nevertheless it supports jehad against Non Muslims which could be used by terrorist to motivate people. </p>
<p>I am not of the view that CC is for only discussion about colleges, Much discussion on Pakistani Thread and Indian Thread have been on topic not at all related to Admissions.</p>
<p>Yes, Islam started spreading from Saudi Arabia! Arabs defeated the Persian Empire. (Point to be note: Arabs defeated the Persian Empire, and not necessarily the Muslims- though I know that vast majority of those armies were indeed Muslims)
Secondly, they never forced anyone out on the basis of religion or caste.
(Saying of the Holy Prophet (pbuh)
no Arab has superiority over a non-Arab, and vice-eversa
in Arabic, non-Arab is sometimes taken as a Persian (Ajami is the word)
The tax Jiziya must have been levied; because this is basically a tax that is supposed to finance the extra protection given to non-Muslim subjects of a Muslim domain. Again, non-Muslim are free from Zakat tax (strange you did not point that out).
Interestingly, Islam is still the fastest growing religion despite the fact the Jiziya is not levied these days. And it is not due to the natural increase in population, just because some people have got enough sense to think what they believe.
I wonder why people like Cat Stevens convert to Islam, rather than say Hinduism. Was he forced to convert? What about Muhammad Ali, the boxer? And these are just the famous cases; there are hundreds who convert to Islam, not by force but out of free will.</p>
<p>A vast population in this region thus converted to Islam either due to force or because they were unable to pay the tax. I do not know from where you bring such biased references. No one was forced to convert. And as for military action against those who do not pay taxes, it is more of a political act, the parallel of which exists in one of the earliest caliphs decision to fight against those (Muslims) who refused to pay Zakat.</p>
<p>You made specific reference to the conquest of Sindh, and Punjab! The Muslims invaded Sindh because pirated backed by the ruler of sindh had captured Muslim ships and good. When, he was asked to let the things go, he blatantly refused. That was the main reason for Sindhs conquest.
Moreover, I doubt it would have been a wonderful experience living under pirates. The people surely resented those rulers, and invited Muslims to get rid of them. Indeed, Muhammad bin Qasim (the Muslim commander) was a popular ruler of the area.</p>
<p>As for Israel, I do not understand your reasoning under which Israel is a long standing victim. I will just quote the words of Britains Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Douglas Hurd made in 1990:
Anyone with a sense of humanity must sympathize with the Palestinians. Their lands are occupied, they have no political rights, and they are daily victims of a misguided policy which believes that the security of Israel must rest on closed universities, illegitimate settlements and even collective punishments.</p>
<p>Or arent you simply sided with Israel because it is a good ally of India?</p>
<p>Again Islam does not believe in forced conversions.
The Quran says: there is no compulsion in religion</p>
<p>As for the origins of Indic religions and their peacefulness, I think Kashmir is an ample example of how to suppress human rights and kill people.</p>