Marriage is the secret to happiness: Tying the knot makes us more content than money, children or having a degree

• Co-habiting couples and singletons are more likely to be unhappy
• Graduates and the wealthiest are most likely to be anxious 
• Personal health has the biggest impact on life satisfaction
• Having children makes life worthwhile but does not bring happiness

Getting married makes people happier with their lives than earning big salaries, having children or believing in God, new research shows.

A major study of the nation’s well-being also reveals graduates and high earners are more anxious than people who only have A-levels or have more modest incomes.

But personal health has the biggest impact on life satisfaction, happiness and whether people feel what they do is worthwhile, the Office for National Statistics revealed.

Married: The survey showed how people who have not tied the knot have less life satisfaction and are more anxious

The happiness survey was launched by David Cameron to assess the state of the nation beyond economic factors.

The Office for National Statistics asked 160,000 people to rate their satisfaction with life, feeling that their life is worthwhile, how happy they felt yesterday and how anxious they felt yesterday on a scale of one to 10.

It found living in rural areas, being religious, owning a house outright and being in good health improve happiness, but living alone, in a deprived area and being in a job you do not like can all affect wellbeing negatively.

It revealed that people who have tied the knot are happier than cohabiting couples and singletons.

Worry: Graduates are much more anxious than people who only have A-levels, but people without qualifications are least likely to think their life is worthwhile

People living along scored their happiness on average 0.4 per cent lower than those who are married or in a civil partnership.

The scores were even lower for those who are widowed, who rated their happiness 0.6 of a point lower.

The ONS said: ‘Holding all else equal and comparing people according to their relationship status shows that married people and those in civil partnerships rate their ‘life satisfaction’, the sense that their activities are ‘worthwhile’ and ‘happiness yesterday’ significantly higher than cohabiting couples, single, divorced and widowed people.

‘The “anxiety yesterday” ratings of single, divorced and widowed people were also significantly higher than those of married people.

Happiness: Being healthy has the biggest impact on life satisfaction, while having children only significantly impacts feelings that what someone does is worthwhile

Surprisingly the best-educated are more likely to be stressed. The ONS said:  ‘People with the highest educational attainment have higher ratings of “anxiety yesterday” on average than people with lower educational attainment.’

People in managerial and professional jobs were also more likely to be anxious than those technical roles or low-level supervisory roles.

However people without any qualifications were much less likely to say what they did was worthwhile.

People who live with young children gave higher ratings when asked if they feel that the things they do in life are ‘worthwhile’, compared to people who do not live with children.

However the ONS said there was only a ‘small or very small’ link between having children and overall wellbeing.

The age-old saying that money cannot buy happiness is also borne out by the study.

While people on higher wages reported higher levels  of ‘life satisfaction’ they did not higher levels of ‘happiness yesterday’ or feeling that what we do is ‘worthwhile’.

The level of personal earnings also does not affect levels of anxiety.

Income: When compared to the least well-off, the very wealthy are more likely to be anxious while those on middle-incomes are most likely to be happy

The retired report the highest levels of wellbeing – even higher than those in work who enjoy their jobs.

People who are unhappy in their work and would like a different job are more likely to have lower levels of wellbeing.

‘The importance that a sense of choice over and satisfaction with our activities has to personal wellbeing extends beyond contentment with a job,’ the ONS said.

‘People looking after family or home who would like to work but were prevented by their circumstances from seeking work reported lower average levels of life satisfaction and ‘happy yesterday’ than similar people who were content with their situation.’

Poorly: People with very bad health have much lower levels of life satisfaction and happiness

Personal health has the biggest impact on levels of wellbeing. People who reported very bad health gave much lower ratings of personal well-being than those in good health.

People in very bad health rated their ‘life satisfaction’ 2.4 points lower, their ‘happiness yesterday’ 2.6 points lower, the sense that what they are doing is ‘worthwhile’ 2.0 points lower than people in good health.  People were also more anxious.

An ONS spokesman said: ‘Gaining an understanding of what influences personal well-being is an important aspect of national well-being, but is only part of a broader picture that draws on a range of economic, social and environmental statistics to show how the country is doing.’

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2333817/Marriage-secret-happiness-Tying-knot-makes-content-money-children-having-degree.html

Unmarried mothers on the rise.

In a trend accelerated by the recent recession and an increase in births to single mothers, nearly four in 10 families with children under the age of 18 are now headed by women who are the sole or primary breadwinners for their families, according to a report released Wednesday by the Pew Research Center.

The report reveals a sweeping change in traditional gender roles and family life over a few short decades: The number of married mothers who out-earn their husbands has nearly quadrupled, from 4 percent in 1960 to 15 percent in 2011. Single mothers, who are sole providers for their families, have tripled in number, from 7 to 25 percent in the same period.

“The decade of the 2000s witnessed the most rapid change in the percentage of married mothers earning more than their husbands of any decade since 1960,” said Philip Cohen, a University of Maryland sociologist who studies gender and family trends. “This reflects the larger job losses experienced by men at the beginning of the Great Recession. Also, some women decided to work more hours or seek better jobs in response to their husbands’ job loss, potential loss or declining wages.”

But the Pew Research report shows that Americans are decidedly ambivalent about mothers who work outside the home. Three-fourths of those surveyed say these mothers make raising children harder, and half worry that it’s bad for marriages.

About half of those surveyed felt it was better if mothers stayed home with young children. In contrast, 8 percent thought it was better if fathers did.

But at the same time, the report notes that other polls have found that nearly 80 percent of Americans don’t think mothers should return to a traditional 1950s middle-class housewife role.

“The public is really of two minds,” said Kim Parker, one of the report’s authors. Traditional gender roles “are a deeply ingrained set of beliefs. It will take a while for those views to catch up with the reality of the way people are living today.”

While not perfect, it’s a lifestyle that has worked for Lisa Rohrer, who works at Georgetown University Law Center, and her husband and children. She became the family breadwinner when her husband, JJ, started his own business. He became the one to pick their two kids up from school, stay home when they were sick and take charge of house duties.

“For us, it has been ideal in many ways, because it has allowed JJ to pursue his dream of starting his own business and has allowed me to take jobs that require a lot of time and travel. I’m also glad our kids see an alternative way of handling careers, marriage and kids,” she said. “On the other hand, I have a lot more sympathy for dads in families where their wives are staying at home. There is a lot of pressure when you’re the main breadwinner.”

Although the trend toward mothers who pull in the biggest part of the family income has been on the rise as more women have become educated and entered the workforce, the recession has accelerated the trend, said Sarah Jane Glynn, an analyst with the Center for American Progress
.

“Part of what’s happening is that more men have been getting laid off and are having difficulty finding work,” she said, noting that the number of married wives who are sole earners has increased since 2007. “And with the way the recovery’s played out, some men who lost their jobs wound up taking others that paid less.”

The Pew Research report found that married mothers are becoming increasingly better educated than their husbands: 61 percent of husbands and wives in dual-earner households have similar education levels, but 23 percent of the mothers are better educated than their spouses, compared with 16 percent of fathers.

Women began graduating from college in greater numbers than men in 1985 and now earn more advanced degrees in many fields.

The stigma of women out-earning men appears to be waning, at least among those with college educations. About 30 percent of those surveyed think it’s better if men earn more, down from 40 percent in 1997. Those with a high school degree or less, however, are twice as likely as college-educated Americans to think men should earn more.

Heidi Parsons, 44, who owns her own recruiting firm in Alexandria, said attitudes such as that can make being a breadwinner a challenge in a relationship.

“My husband is a massage therapist. The disparity in income is hard for him. I don’t care. I signed up for it. I knew that going in, and it’s never bothered me,” she said. “But it’s hard, because it’s hard for him. What I like to look at is how it was nice that he was home for two years when the kids were little. That’s a contribution there that goes unrecognized on the dad’s side.”

Cohen said the trend toward breadwinning mothers can be disconcerting because it upends the status quo.

“Mothers have historically been responsible for the majority of child care and rearing, and single motherhood represents an extension of that role in a way that does not challenge traditional gender norms,” he said.

Single-mother breadwinners are at a severe disadvantage, the report found.

Compared with their married peers, they earn an average of $23,000 and are more likely to be younger, black or Hispanic and have less education than a college degree.

“The makeup of single mothers has changed dramatically,” said Wendy Wang, one of the report’s authors. “In 1960, the vast majority of single mothers were divorced, separated or widowed. Only 4 percent were never married. But now, it’s 44 percent.” Now, 40 percent of all births are to single mothers, she added.

Julie Guyot-Diangone, 42, a divorced, breadwinning mother of two who works on Capitol Hill, earned a PhD in social work and specializes in orphan and refu­gee displacement. But since both her parents died a few months ago, she has no one to help her take care of her children, much less buy the groceries, cook or do laundry.

“I used to think, when looking for employment, I would look at my area of expertise. But those aren’t necessarily 9-to-5 jobs,” she said. “I find that I’m looking for work hours. Flex time. Teleworking. I’m looking for that, as a priority.”

Marcia Greco, 57, who works in Fairfax, had no choice about becoming her family’s breadwinner when her husband was laid off nearly 20 years ago. Her husband took care of their two children and went to school at night. He felt isolated. Sometimes, people thought of them as a curiosity. Despite that, and despite the unease with mother breadwinners that Pew Research report found, the situation worked for them. The two just celebrated their 30th anniversary.

“We showed our kids that anyone can be a nurturer or go out and be a primary breadwinner,” she said. “Your gender doesn’t matter.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/nearly-40-percent-of-mothers-are-now-the-family-breadwinners-report-says/2013/05/28/8de03ec8-c7bb-11e2-9245-773c0123c027_story_1.html

Facebook going to be banned in Pakistan very soon if orders not implemented.

Peshawar High Court has ordered the authorities to block blasphemous and objectionable content available on social media websites, especially the Facebook and other websites with-in three days.

Court directed interior ministry, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority and other departments to take stern action against these websites and submit a compliance report with-in 20 days.

A Peshawar High Court bench, presided by Chief Justice Dost Muhammad issued the order in response to a petition filed by a lawyer named Arif Khan, pleading that authorities are unable to get blasphemous content blocked from social media websites.

Chief Justice said that such blasphemous content, availably freely on social media websites, incite the feelings of Muslims and result into chaos in the society.

While it is unclear that how these authorities are going to get the objectionable content blocked, it is feared that Peshawar High Court — if order is not implemented — might ban the social media websites in Pakistan.

It merits mentioning here that YouTube is blocked in the country for last eight months for similar reasons.

Creative industry: Here’s why being Pakistani should make you proud

DUBAI: 

Would it make you proud if I told you that the Venom character in the Spiderman III movie was developed and animated by a Pakistani? How does it feel to know that a Pakistani animator worked on Hollywood blockbusters such as X-Men First Class, The Day After Tomorrow, Mummy, The Incredible Hulk, Land of The Lost, Surf’s Up and Ghost Rider? How does it feel to know that the same animator won an Oscar in 2008 for working on the winning sequences of The Golden Compass?

Feels great, doesn’t it? I felt the elation at a whole different level, as I came to know all this through a white man I met at the JFK airport when I was flying from New York to Chicago before Christmas last year.

I felt numb with pride when he told me about the exploits of Meer Zafar Ali, a graduate from FAST Karachi, the man who won that Oscar and accomplished the other animation feats mentioned above. Since that eventful chat, I have been gathering the bits and pieces of one of Pakistan’s most exciting untold stories. Though still in a nascent state if compared to the international market and even neighbouring India, the Pakistani animation industry nonetheless holds great value in itself.

It all started with Commander Safeguard. We should all applaud Post Amazers for pioneering an animation lab test for which they will be remembered for in the history of Pakistani animation. That lab test pushed our advertising industry to come up with more local superheroes, such as Lifebuoy Germ Busters, Dettol Warriors and Milkateers, later giving way to Mr Jeem and Baankay Miyaan.

And when you talk about Pakistan’s animation industry, you simply cannot forget mentioning Asim Fida Khan. The maestro has worked on blockbuster Hollywood flicks such as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, G.I Joe, The Tales of Despereaux and Snow White and the Huntsman.

To double down on this fact, I would like to couple it with another amazing accomplishment for Pakistan: the Pakistan-based company Trango Interactive, operated by Shehryar Hydari, has made animations for foreign clients like Audi, Nike, Lexus, UPS, Mazda, Hyundai, Sega AND it has made documentaries for the Discovery Channel. It has also made the animations for all BlackBerry ads in Pakistan.

Trango Interactive’s maiden video game, Sherra Jutt, was made for a Pakistani audience. The game inspired musicians like Haroon Rasheed, ex-member of the Awaz band, to step into the animation and game development industry. Haroon’s upcoming game, Burka Avenger, is in its last phase of packaging and will be launched soon.

Another great mention here is a group of talented guys from Islamabad who operate under the name of We R Play. How gratifying is it to have your game selected for publishing by the people behind world-famous games such as Angry Birds and Cut The Rope?  These guys did it. We R Play’s latest game, Dream Chaser, was published just a few weeks ago by Chillingo, a premier game publisher that is a sister concern of Electronics Arts (EA) – and it is doing pretty well.

Another honourable mention is Mind Storm Studios, the game development company that received world recognition for Cricket Revolution. The game was not only rated as having the best game physics at many award ceremonies worldwide, but also received higher ratings than Electronic Arts’ conventional cricket game. This later resulted in EA Sports bidding for an acquisition of the game, but Mind Storm Studios rejected the deal. I would also like to tell you that this is the same company that made the official video game for the ICC World Cup 2011.

And here’s a shout-out to a software house in Karachi, Pi Labs, which developed the official iOS-based game for Garfield the cat a few months ago. The app has performed exceptionally well on the AppStore, given a strong marketing impetus to the official Garfield publisher. Another company that has achieved success in developing mobile games is Agnitus – a group of talented individuals who make addictive mobile-based learning games for children.

And when Pakistani companies like Caramel Tech Solutions work on foreign projects like Fear Factor, MTV Games and HALFBRICK – and collaborate with world giants such as DeNa – you can only say that for Pakistanis, the sky is the limit.

The writer runs a software company in Dubai and a healthcare startup in New York

Not many of you may know this, but the title animation sequence that plays before every episode of Game of Thrones, the world’s most-watched TV series these days, has been produced by Hameed Shaukat, a US-born Pakistani. He won an Emmy for Outstanding Main Title Design for the series in 2011, which he shared with teammates Robert Feng, Kirk Shintani and Angus Wall.

Get a load of this: Post Amazers set the bar so high with Commander Safeguard that the same animated series was later adapted by Procter and Gamble in other countries, such as Mexico, China, Philippines and Kenya.

It is also worth mentioning that the Milkateers series won many short film and animation awards in Singapore and India. 

The Pakistani newlyweds are the UK's first married Muslim lesbian couple.

Pakistani lesbians who are the first Muslim gay couple to wed in UK claim political asylum saying their lives are endangered if they return home   

• 
  
• Rehana Kausar and Sobia Kamar married at Leeds Register Office
• 
  
• The Pakistani newlyweds are the UK's first married Muslim lesbian couple
• 
  
• After the ceremony the couple applied for asylum
• 
  
• They have faced death threats from both Pakistan and the UK
• 
  
• But the pair say they are in love and praised the UK's tolerance

A pair of Pakistani women have made history as the first Muslim lesbian couple to get married in the UK.

Rehana Kausar, 34, and Sobia Kamar, 29, made history when they tied the knot in a register office civil ceremony, then immediately applied for political asylum after they were wed, claiming their lives would be in danger if they returned to their native country.

Watched by their solicitors and two friends, the pair wore traditional white bridal dresses when they were married in Leeds, West Yorkshire.

The pair, from the Lahore and Mirpur regions of Pakistan, said they had received death threats from opponents in Pakistan - where homosexual acts are illegal and considered against Islam.

And since news of their wedding earlier this month spread, the pair claimed they had even received death threats from the UK.

Before the service, even the registrar advised the couple to give serious thought to their decision to marry because of some Muslims’ views on homosexuality.

Ms Kausar, a master's degree holder in economics from Punjab University (pictured), both came to the UK to study business and health care management

Kausar said: 'This country allows us rights and it’s a very personal decision that we have taken.

'It’s no one’s business as to what we do with our personal lives. 

'The problem with Pakistan is that everyone believes he is in charge of other people’s lives and can best decide about the morals of others but that’s not the right approach and we are in this state because of our clergy who have hijacked our society which was once a tolerant society and respected individuals’ freedoms.'

The pair married at the register office located at Leeds Town Hall. They have lived in South Yorkshire as a couple for a year

Ms Kamar, speaking to the Birmingham Mail, described her partner as her 'soul mate' and said the two women were deeply in love.

Pakistani law does not recognise same-sex marriages and there are no laws to stop discrimination.

Both women met in Birmingham as students when they moved to Pakistan from the UK.

They later started living together as a couple in South Yorkshire, where they spent a year before deciding to wed.

A relative said: 'The couple did not have an Islamic marriage ceremony, known as a nikah, as they could not find an Imam to conduct what would have been a controversial ceremony.

'They have been very brave throughout as our religion does not condone homosexuality.

'The couple have had their lives threatened both here and in Pakistan and there is no way they could ever return there.'

Many scholars of Sharia - Islamic - law view homosexuality as a punishable offence.

There is no specific punishment prescribed but in extreme cases gay people can be sentenced to death.

Weird English Translations By Chinese...

Is this the most handsome man on the planet? He certainly thinks so. Meet the mysterious Iraqi male model taking the Internet by storm

Meet Ahmed Angel - the Iraqi medical student and part-time model who wants to take over the world.

And with his gelled hair, piercing blue eyes and expert Photoshopping skills, the 18-year-old has been gathering followers at a phenomenal rate.

Since it was created three months ago, Ahmed's bizarre photo album on Imgur has been viewed almost a million times.

But very little is known about the mysterious Ahmed Angel.

According to his website, he is studying medicine in Belarus and speaks Arabic, English, Russian and French.

But his passion is most clearly illustrated by the 400 photos of himself posted on his Facebook page.

Album titles include 'the most beautiful face ever' and 'very HOT!'

A short biography reveals that Ahmed 'seeks to obtain fame and influence. He finds intellect and creativity as important as others. Ahmed looks down upon drinking alcohol and smoking.'

Despite having already gathered such a large fan base, Ahmed remains magnanimous about his success. 

In his most recent posting on Facebook he said: 'Extend my sincere thanks to all the fans and friends for the great efforts To vote for me and published my photos in the most important and the most popular international sites In the world. And now I'm a international star And the most popular ....I love all of you.'

In response, Ahmed's adoring fans have taken their obsession to a new level.

One said: 'It's your planet. Thank you for allowing us all to live on it.'

Another wrote: 'You should be king of all the Earth.'

Countries express interest in Pak-China's JF-17 Thunder

BEIJING: Many countries around the world are keen on obtaining JF-17 Thunder fighter jet jointly developed by Pakistan and China, said a senior officer of the Pakistan Air Force on Sunday.

“We’ve been getting inquiries and expressions of interest for the JF-17 Thunder from many countries in the Middle East, Africa and from as far as South America,” Air Marshal Sohail Gul Khan, the chairman of the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex, told China Daily.

Pakistan has had the privilege of showcasing the fighter plane twice in China’s International Airshow held bi-annually in Zhuhai.

The JF-17 Thunder or the FC-1 Fierce Dragon as it’s known in China is a third-generation multipurpose combat jet co-developed by Aviation Industry Corp of China and the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC).

PAC is in charge of manufacturing and maintaining the Pakistan Air Force’s aircraft back home.

“During my foreign visits, almost everyone I met asked me about the plane and many countries said they want to join the project,” Khan said.

The JF-17 is an “extremely capable aircraft” and its maneuverability and avionics are excellent, he added.

Air Vice-Marshal Javaid Ahmed, chief director of the JF-17 project, added to the assertion. “The JF-17 is one of our top lightweight fighters, comparable to any advanced aircraft in the Pakistan Air Force.”

The Complex has already produced more than 40 JF-17s, he said adding that the collaborative project between China and Pakistan on the aircraft is still underway with technicians from both the countries focusing on upgrading the weapons and avionics.

Khan said the Pakistan Air Force may also take part in the development of other aircrafts in the future.

His remarks came shortly after six JF-17 Thunder fighter jets escorted the Boeing 747 with Premier Li Keqiang on board, who arrived in Pakistan for a two-day visit on Wednesday.

In a telephonic interview with China Daily, Wing Commander Ronald Afzal, leader of Pakistan Air Force’s 16th Squadron said “It’s a great honor for us that our JF-17s were selected to welcome Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.”

“We had handpicked the best pilots in my squadron and trained intensively on escort formation at high altitudes as well as low altitudes one week before Prime Minister Li was to arrive,” Afzal said.

“As its developers, we feel quite privileged to see our planes undertake such an honorable mission and believe that the Pakistan Air Force chose the JF-17 to welcome our premier partly because it has a lot of Chinese elements,” said Yang Wei, the chief designer of the aircraft at the Aviation Industry Corp of China.

Yang’s team will join hands with their Pakistani counterparts to develop future versions of the JF-17, gradually providing the aircraft with partial stealth and aerial refueling capabilities, he said.

Vatican corrects Pope: Atheists are still going to hell

After Pope Francis told the world even atheists can go to heaven, the Vatican issued a correction: Atheists are still going to hell.

The Vatican issued an “explanatory note on the meaning of “salvation,” on Thursday, May 23, after media reports circulated indicating that Pope Francis” promised heaven for everyone engaged in good works, including atheists.

In response to the media attention, the Rev. Thomas Rosica, a Vatican spokesman, saidthat people who know about the Catholic church “cannot be saved” if they “refuse to enter her or remain in her.”

(Translation: Atheists are going to Hell if they don’t accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.)

Rosica also said that Francis had “no intention of provoking a theological debate on the nature of salvation,” during his homily on Wednesday.

The current theological confusion began after the leader of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics made comments during the homily of his morning Mass on Wednesday, May 22, indicating that atheists would enjoy the fruits of eternal salvation if they were good people.Francis said:

The Lord has redeemed all of us, all of us, with the Blood of Christ: all of us, not just Catholics. Everyone! ‘Father, the atheists?’ Even the atheists. Everyone!

We are created children in the likeness of God and the Blood of Christ has redeemed us all! And we all have a duty to do good. And this commandment for everyone to do good, I think, is a beautiful path towards peace. If we, each doing our own part, if we do good to others, if we meet there, doing good, and we go slowly, gently, little by little, we will make that culture of encounter: we need that so much. We must meet one another doing good. ‘But I don’t believe, Father, I am an atheist!’ But do good: we will meet one another there.

The Pope: good atheists will go to Heaven

Pope Francis rocked some religious and atheist minds today when he declared that everyone was redeemed through Jesus, including atheists.

During his homily at Wednesday Mass in Rome, Francis emphasized the importance of "doing good" as a principle that unites all humanity, and a "culture of encounter"to support peace.

Using scripture from the Gospel of Mark, Francis explained how upset Jesus' disciples were that someone outside their group was doing good, according to a report from Vatican Radio.

“They complain,” the Pope said in his homily, because they say, “If he is not one of us, he cannot do good. If he is not of our party, he cannot do good.” And Jesus corrects them: “Do not hinder him, he says, let him do good.” The disciples, Pope Francis explains, “were a little intolerant,” closed off by the idea of ​​possessing the truth, convinced that “those who do not have the truth, cannot do good.” “This was wrong . . . Jesus broadens the horizon.” Pope Francis said, “The root of this possibility of doing good – that we all have – is in creation”

Pope Francis went further in his sermon to say:

"The Lord created us in His image and likeness, and we are the image of the Lord, and He does good and all of us have this commandment at heart: do good and do not do evil. All of us. ‘But, Father, this is not Catholic! He cannot do good.’ Yes, he can... "The Lord has redeemed all of us, all of us, with the Blood of Christ: all of us, not just Catholics. Everyone! ‘Father, the atheists?’ Even the atheists. Everyone!".. We must meet one another doing good. ‘But I don’t believe, Father, I am an atheist!’ But do good: we will meet one another there.”

Responding to the leader of the Roman Catholic church's homily, Father James Martin, S.J. wrote in an email to The Huffington Post:

"Pope Francis is saying, more clearly than ever before, that Christ offered himself as a sacrifice for everyone. That's always been a Christian belief. You can find St. Paul saying in the First Letter to Timothy that Jesus gave himself as a "ransom for all." But rarely do you hear it said by Catholics so forcefully, and with such evident joy. And in this era of religious controversies, it's a timely reminder that God cannot be confined to our narrow categories."

Of course, not all Christians believe that those who don't believe will be redeemed, and the Pope's words may spark memories of the deep divisions from the Protestant reformation over the belief in redemption through grace versus redemption through works.

The pope's comment has also struck a chord on Reddit, where it is the second most-shared piece.

More from Reuters:

Atheists should be seen as good people if they do good, Pope Francis said on Wednesday in his latest urging that people of all religions - or no religion - work together.

The leader of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics made his comments in the homily of his morning Mass in his residence, a daily event where he speaks without prepared comments.

He told the story of a Catholic who asked a priest if even atheists had been redeemed by Jesus.

"Even them, everyone," the pope answered, according to Vatican Radio. "We all have the duty to do good," he said.

"Just do good and we'll find a meeting point," the pope said in a hypothetical conversation in which someone told a priest: "But I don't believe. I'm an atheist."

Francis's reaching out to atheists and people who belong to no religion is a marked contrast to the attitude of former Pope Benedict, who sometimes left non-Catholics feeling that he saw them as second-class believers.

 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/22/pope-francis-good-atheists_n_3320757.html

Dutch anxiety over ‘Sharia triangle’ police no-go area in The Hague

Area two kilometres from city centre has become ‘orthodox Muslim territory’ largely ignored by authorities

The leader of the Dutch far-right Party for Freedom Geert Wilders speaks to the press during his visit to the Schilderswijk district in The Hague. Photograph: Martijn Beekman/AFP/Getty Images

There have been calls for an urgent debate in the Dutch parliament about the integration of Muslim immigrants amid claims that one area of The Hague, known locally as “the Sharia triangle”, is being run by a form of unofficial Sharia police.

The claims relate to the district of Schilderswijk, about two kilometres from the city centre, where an almost entirely Muslim population of some 5,000 people surrounds the El Islam mosque, fuelling criticism that the government has failed to ensure a proper ethnic mix in schools and local housing. One recent investigation, in which local people were extensively interviewed, concluded that Schilderswijk had become “orthodox Muslim territory” which was now largely ignored by the city authorities, by politicians and even by the police, on the grounds that it had become self-regulating.

The investigation found that orthodox Muslims had become so dominant that they were dictating what people in the neighbourhood wore and how they behaved.

“The norms of the majority are beginning to take over,” it said.

In the case of women, dress was a particular issue. One woman told how her daughter had been approached and told her short skirt was inappropriate, while her son had been called a “kaffir” – a racist term formerly used in colonial South Africa to refer to a black person – for smoking.

A youth who had previously been involved in local gangs said that criminality had dropped off, not because of the police, but because he and his friends were “afraid of the wrath of Allah”.

Another man said he felt he was gradually being driven out of his home because he had a dog, and many traditional Muslims tended not to keep or favour dogs.

A veiled Muslim woman, however, defended Islamic practices, and said dressing modestly would “do the locals good”. She pointed out that women in the Dutch ultra-conservative, largely Protestant, Bible Belt also wore long dresses, and that shops there were closed on Sunday – as many in Schilderswijk were on Fridays.

Local police chief Michel de Roos said: “We have no indications there is a form of Sharia police here. That is not to say it does not happen, but we are unaware of it.”

Last Tuesday, social affairs minister Lodewijk Asscher and right-wing Freedom Party leader Geert Wilders paid separate visits to the area, and are to report to parliament.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/europe/dutch-anxiety-over-sharia-triangle-police-no-go-area-in-the-hague-1.1404541

Bigotry against Jews and Muslims on the rise, says US

Discrimination against Jews and Muslims is on the rise around the world, according to an annual US Department of State report.

The findings for 2012 spoke of an increase in anti-Islamic sentiment in Europe and Asia.

It also said there was growing anti-Semitism, especially in Venezuela, Egypt and Iran.

As he unveiled the report, US Secretary of State John Kerry appointed a new special envoy on anti-Semitism.

Ira Foreman was named to replace Michael Kozak in the role, which was first created in 2004.

Mr Foreman was in charge of appealing to Jewish voters on behalf of President Barack Obama ahead of last November's election.

Apostasy laws

The International Religious Freedom Report, released on Monday, noted that in Egypt, anti-Semitic sentiment in the media sometimes included Holocaust denial or glorification.

It also mentioned an incident on 19 October when Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi said "amen" to a religious leader's call upon Allah to "destroy the Jews and their supporters".

Government-controlled media in Venezuela, meanwhile, had published numerous anti-Semitic statements, including in opposition to a Catholic presidential candidate with Jewish ancestors.

The report also noted the Iranian government's frequent denunciations of Judaism.

"Even well into the 21st Century, traditional forms of anti-Semitism, such as conspiracy theories, use of the discredited myth of 'blood libel' and cartoons demonizing Jews continued to flourish," the report said.

It found that Muslims faced new restrictions in Belgium, which had banned face-covering religious attire in classrooms.

The report also raised concern at the restricting of headscarves in schools in Mangalore, India.

A section on Burma highlighted sustained violence and discrimination against Rohingya Muslims. The report was released as Burmese President Thein Sein met Mr Obama in the White House.

It also highlighted the targeting of Islamic minorities in majority Muslim countries.

There had been rising violence against Shia and Ahmadi Muslims in Pakistan, discrimination against non-Sunni Muslims in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, and the arrest and harassment of Sunni Muslims in Iran, the report said.

Mr Kerry said the findings also pointed to a rise in apostasy laws, which he said were frequently used to repress dissent or settle personal vendettas.

The report cites the example of a mentally disabled Christian girl who was jailed for over a month in Pakistan on blasphemy charges until she was freed amid domestic and international condemnation.

The report also found:

• Russia brought extremism charges against members of minority religious groups in order to restrict their right to assembly
• Two credible reports from Sudan that the authorities had razed churches
• Maldives officials had been pressuring citizens to conform to a stricter interpretation of Islamic practice

As he unveiled the report in Washington DC, Mr Kerry acknowledged that America's own record was not perfect, but said religious freedom was a "universal value".

"The freedom to profess and practise one's faith - to believe or not to believe, or to change one's beliefs - that is a birthright of every human being," he said.

"I urge all countries, especially those identified in this report, to take action now to safeguard this fundamental freedom."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-22601881

Woolwich murder sparks anti-Muslim backlash

There has been a huge increase in anti-Muslim incidents since the murder of a British soldier in Woolwich, an inter-faith charity has said.

Faith Matters, which runs a helpline, said they had received 162 calls since Wednesday's attack, up from a daily average of six.

A number of people have been charged after allegedly offensive comments were made on social media websites.

Drummer Lee Rigby was killed near Woolwich Barracks on Wednesday.

Shortly after his killing, 28-year-old Michael Adebolajo was filmed by a passer-by saying he had carried out the attack because British soldiers killed Muslims every day.

Mr Adebolajo and a second suspect, Michael Adebowale, 22, were arrested at the scene and remain in hospital after they were shot by police. Both men were known to the security services, sources told the BBC.

'Significant online activity'

Fiyaz Mughal, director of Faith Matters, said the nature of the incidents ranged from attacks against mosques, graffiti, the pulling off of Muslim women's headscarves and more general name calling and abuse.

He told BBC Radio Five Live: "What's really concerning is the spread of these incidents. They're coming in from right across the country.

"Secondly, some of them are quite aggressive very focused, very aggressive attacks.

"And thirdly, there also seems to be significant online activity... suggesting co-ordination of incidents and attacks against institutions or places where Muslims congregate."

Since the attack, a number of people have been charged by police after allegedly offensive messages were posted on social media websites.

These include a 22-year-old man from Lincoln, a 28-year-old man from London, a 23-year-old woman from Southsea, and a 19-year-old man from Woking.

Three men - two from Gateshead and one from Stockton - have been arrested by Northumbria Police on suspicion of posting racist tweets.

It came ahead of a protest by the English Defence League (EDL) in Newcastle in which around 1,500 people took part. It had been planned for months.

MI5 approach

A friend of Mr Adebolajo, Abu Nusaybah, was arrested on Friday night on BBC premises following an interview with BBC Newsnight.

The arrest was not directly related to the murder of Drummer Rigby, the Met Police said.

Mr Nusayabah told the programme that Mr Adebolajo had rejected an approach by MI5 to work for them around six months ago.

It followed a trip to Kenya where Mr Nusaybah said Mr Adebolajo had been detained by security forces.

He said he noticed "a change" in Mr Adebolajo when he returned from Africa last year.

Abu Nusaybah said Mr Adebolajo suggested he had been physically and sexually abused during an interrogation in a prison cell in the African country.

Next week the director general of MI5 Andrew Parker is expected to present an initial report on the role of the security services to a Parliamentary committee, which is carrying out an investigation.

Both Mr Adebolajo and Mr Adebowale, Britons of Nigerian descent, are understood to be converts to Islam, with Mr Adebolajo originally coming from a Christian family.

Maajid Nawaz, from the anti-extremism think tank the Quilliam Foundation, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme there is a "disproportionate number of convicted terrorists who've come from a conversion background".