Why proportionally fewer are of Muslim faith in the United States than in some other countries (even in the "west")?

[AuburnAL]

All this, and the fact that Muslims immigrated in very small numbers in the past and often converted over time. For example there aren't a lot, but there are several mosques in the US from the 1800s and early 1900s that were simply abandoned as the Muslim community that immigrated to the US and originally built it converted to Christianity. Whereas in Europe and China you can find mosques that go back centuries because the Muslim communities there were always in contact and being strengthened and replenished by Muslims in neighboring areas.

[Mouldy Old Schmo]

Some of the African slaves in the United States were Muslims. However, the faith died out as slaves were converted to Christianity.
There was a little immigration of Muslims from the Middle East in the late 19th century. However, most immigrants from the Middle East were Christians.

Islam in the United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Mother Mosque Of America

[LINative]

Originally Posted by pch1013

Pretty much, along with the fact that the US (unlike France and the UK) never had any Muslim colonies.

Neither did Italy, unless you count its brief occupation of Albania, but -- as with Spain -- the Muslim influx there is due to geographical proximity.

In the case of Argentina and South Africa, it's the result of immigration by (mostly) Lebanese traders. One of Argentina's former Presidents, Carlos Menem, is from a Syrian family.

Not that the US hasn't had immigration from Lebanon too, but it has been diluted by much larger groups of immigrants from elsewhere.

Originally Posted by Gentoo

Didn't Italy have Somalia?

Italy had Somalia, Libya and Eritrea as colonies with Muslim populations. But because of WW2, they lost their colonies before the main Muslim immigration to the EU began.

Italian Empire - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia