GENEVA, April 10, 2006 (IslamOnline.net) – A gala organized by Swiss Muslims to celebrate the birthday of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was overshadowed by the Swiss authorities' decision to deny five Qur'an reciters visas to take part.

"We need an explanation from the authorities over the visa mishap," Abdulla Kassapoglu, the head of the Muslim community in Switzerland, told IslamOnlin.net on Monday, April 10.

"It was a cultural symposium for which he had an official permission," he added.

Up to 2,500 people gathering in the Almend hall in the central city of Lucerne were shocked to learn that the five reciters, from Egypt, Turkey, Pakistan and Iran, would not show up.

The organizers had to change the night's program, which was proposed to include a lecture on Qur'an recitation throughout the centuries and the verses that talked about the Prophet.

Turkish professors Senai Demirci and Engin Npyan perused the life history of the Prophet in a theatre-like dialogue.

They sent the message that there is no contradiction between taking the Prophet as a role model and living in Europe.

They said Muslims can follow in the Prophet's footsteps and model themselves after his characteristics like honesty, benevolence and credibility to counter stereotypes propagated by the media.

Professor Nadeem Orhan also lectured on the significance of the Prophet's hadiths, countering secularists who claim the sayings reflect outdated personal viewpoints.

Up to 2,500 people who attended the symposium were disappointed by the absence of the five reciters.

Kassapoglu said Switzerland, in denying the visas, does not practice what it preaches.

"It is double face that Switzerland tries to portray itself as a friendly country to the Muslim world, but its Muslims are taking pains to invite prominent scholars to cultural and religious events."

He said the visa denial contradicts stances taken by the country encouraging multi-culturalism and interaction with the Muslim world.

"Switzerland sometimes finances cultural events in Muslim countries, so why the contradiction?"

It is not the first time that Swiss authorities deny Muslims entry.

In September last year, prominent imam Wagdy Ghoneim was banned by airport authorities in Geneva from entering the country to attend the 15th annual meeting of the League of Muslims in Switzerland (LMS).

In 2004, the government placed visa restrictions on imams coming to the country during the holy month of Ramadan except for Al-Azhar missions.

Switzerland is home to some 380,000 Muslims, representing a sizable 4.7 percent of the country’s population.

Islam is the second religion in the country after Christianity.