Muslim Communities

Islam has been part of European history since the eighth century through three main pathways: the civilization of Al-Andalus in Iberia, the Arab and Norman period in Sicily, and the Ottoman presence in the Balkans. Each left lasting marks on European culture and religious geography.

Islam has been present in North America for more than four centuries, beginning with enslaved West African Muslims. Some 3.45 million Muslims now live in the United States and 1.05 million in Canada, in communities formed by conversion and by immigration.