Several European nations, including Germany, France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, face a growing Arab/Muslim population that often refuses to integrate and abide by common standards. In Denmark, with about 200,000 Muslim immigrants in a population of roughly 5½ million, these immigrants account for over 40% of welfare spending and are disproportionately involved in crime, including a majority of convicted rapists. Unacceptable practices such as forced marriages and death threats against Muslims who convert out of Islam have also emerged. Muslim clerics have called for adherents to take over Denmark and impose Islamic law once their population grows sufficiently, with projections suggesting Muslims could comprise one-third of Denmark's population in about forty years.

Islamic banking, also known as Sharia banking, is a system of banking or financial activity in alignment with Islamic law (Sharia). It requires that 2.5% of revenue be donated to Islamic charity, prohibits borrowing and lending with interest though paying for the time value of money is accepted as long as it is seen as a gift rather than a guarantee, and requires socially responsible investing meaning that a bank cannot invest in something that is against Islamic principles. Banks that offer Islamic banking products and services are required to establish a Sharia advisory council to ensure that the operations of the bank comply with Islamic principles according to the interpretation of the council. Estimates of the size of the Sharia banking sector range from $500 billion up to $1.5 trillion. Western financial institutions including Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, Ernst & Young, and McKinsey and Co. are eager to tap into this emerging market. The British government has taken steps to make Britain the global center for Islamic finance and has pledged to issue its own Sharia compliant bonds (sukuk) which are government debt compliant with Islamic principles.