ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a brief overview of Muslims in the West, concentrating in particular on Muslims in the United States (US) and in Western Europe. It describes the pattern and process of migration by using Britain as a case study, outlines the demographic characteristics and examines the social, economic, political and health status of British Muslims. Approximately 60% of the 19 million or so Muslims living in the West are to be found in Western Europe, the rest living mainly in the US, Canada and Australia, with small numbers in other Western countries. With changes in immigration policies in Western Europe, however, there has been a tendency for them to settle permanently, and the myth of return has gradually diminished. The number of mosques has risen significantly and there are many Muslim schools; for example, there are 16 in Toronto alone. Because of selective migration policies the socio-economic position of Muslims is quite good.
