Marriage workshop

TORONTO A workshop presented from the perspective of the United Church of Canada is hoping to help committed couples seeking to recharge their relationships.

The United in Marriage Communication Workshop for Couples provides twosomes the chance to spend a weekend working on strengthening their communication skills and relationship bond.

The workshops are typically led by three or four couples who share their own stories and experiences while encouraging participants to examine their own lives.

The workshops are open to couples of all faiths, regardless of age, sexual orientation, gender identity and marital status. The next United in Marriage Workshop is slated to take place in Toronto on Nov. 14, with another one planned for British Columbia or Alberta in March 2009.

Swiss voting on minarets

BERN, Switzerland Switzerland will hold a nationwide referendum on whether to ban the construction of minarets where Muslims traditionally issue the call to prayer.

Swiss nationalists have collected enough signatures to force a vote on the ban, the Interior Ministry said.

Organizers backed by the nationalist Swiss People's Party and the fringe Federal Democratic Union say they are acting to fight the political spread of Islam. They argue that the minaret is a symbol of political and religious claim to power rather than a mere religious sign.

No date has been set for the referendum. If it is approved, the Swiss parliament must pass a law enshrining a construction ban in the constitution.

More than 310,000 among Switzerland's 7.5 million people are Muslims, according to the Federal Statistical Office. Opponents say such a ban would violate religious freedom.

A UN expert on racism, Doudou Diene, has said the campaign is evidence of an "ever-increasing trend" toward anti-Islamic actions in Europe.

President Pascal Couchepin said the government will recommend that voters reject the proposed ban. Several other members of Switzerland's cross-party government have spoken out against the ban.

At least 100,000 signatures are needed to put a popular initiative to a vote in Switzerland.

Hamilton Spectator wire services