A Muslim charity event due to take place in Rijswijk next month has been cancelled, the town council said on Friday.

The event, organised by the Rohamma Foundation, hit the headlines because several imams had been invited to speak who were alleged to have made hate speeches in the past, or to have encouraged people to take part in jihad.

The council said in a statement that the foundation now recognised the charitable aims of the gathering had been completely overshadowed by events. The decision to cancel it is a ‘very brave’ choice, the council said.

Earlier this week, foreign affairs minister Bert Koenders withdrew visas for three of the invited imams, citing ‘new information’ from the counter terrorism unit NCTV.

Meanwhile, broadcaster Nos says MPs have asked for clarification about another charity event, due to take place in Utrecht on March 1.

The guests include the controversial sheik Assim Al-Hakeem, a fundamentalist from Saudi Arabia. Dutch Muslim Abdul-Jabbar van der Ven is also on the list of speakers. He created controversy by saying he would not mourn if Geert Wilders, leader of the anti-Islam PVV, were to die.