The 19th and 20th century expansion of Western power into the Islamic world gave the impression that the fangs of jihad were pulled, but the retreat of the West in the post-WWII period and loss of confidence among Western European countries, continued with a vengeance in the current century, caused a resurgence of jihadi expansion.  

Where the resurgence is most evident is where it has been primarily carried out by violence, including kidnappings, beheadings, arson, and the burning alive of “infidels,” a wide range of atrocities that are crimes against humanity. This has been most evident in Southwest and South Asia, and West, Central, and East Africa. But in Europe the modus operandi is different: it is immigration jihad. This is where Muslims flood in, legally or illegally, establishing separate “no-go” communities where civil authorities dare not go. 

According to Pew Research, the Muslim population of Europe in 2016 was 4.9% of the total population. But the percentage of Muslims varied greatly from country to country: Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Portugal, and the three Baltic states were less than one percent Muslim. The percentages of other countries were as follows: Denmark 5.4%; Greece 5.7%; Norway 5.71%; Germany 6.1%; UK 6.3%; Netherlands 7.1%; Belgium 7.6%; Sweden 8.1%; France 8.8%; Bulgaria 11.1%. 

Up to date population statistics for 2025 are not readily available, but past observation suggests that in the nine years since the Pew report, the high birthrate of Muslims, plus the influx from immigration, has led to a greater Muslim percentage of the population in most European countries. Statista projections for 2050 are as follows: “Depending on the different migration scenarios estimated here, Germany's share of Muslims in the population could rise up to 19.7 percent of it's population by 2050, higher than both the UK and France, with projected Muslim populations of 17.2 and 18 percent respectively.”