LONDON (Reuters/AFP) - Muslims living in European countries feel far more isolated than those living in the United States, according to a survey on coexistence, with a lack of access to education and jobs reinforcing a sense of ostracism. At the same time, Muslims in France, Britain and Germany feel far more loyalty to their country than they are perceived to feel, and express a strong willingness to integrate. The findings by pollsters Gallup tend to suggest that a longer period of migration to the United States and economic growth there has helped foster integration. Meanwhile, Muslims in Europe are working hard to fit in and say it is important, but they are not always seen to be succeeding. This research shows that many of the assumptions about Muslims and integration are wide of the mark, said Dalia Mogahed, the executive director of the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies and co-author of a report based on the findings. European Muslims want to be part of the wider community and contribute even more to society. The survey, described as the first of its kind, polled at least 500 Muslims in June and July of last year to generate its findings on European Muslim integration. At least 1,000 members of the general public in each country were also randomly surveyed to create comparisons on specific issues. While 38 per cent of Muslims in Germany, 35 per cent of those in the United Kingdom and 29 per cent of those in France were found to be isolated in their countries, that figure stood at just 15 per cent in the United States and 20 per cent in Canada. This can be explained by the historical importance of immigration in the development of Canada and the United States as modern nations, said Mogahed, adding that better access to higher education and work in North America had helped over decades to create more integration and social advancement. One of the starkest findings of the surveys was the gap in perception between European Muslims and the general public. While nearly half of French Muslims (46 per cent) said they felt integrated, only 22 per cent of the French public said they felt the same about the Muslims living in their country. In Germany, 35 per cent of Muslims saw themselves as integrated, but the broader public put it at 13 per cent. And in Britain, while 20 per cent of the public thought Muslims were integrated, only 10 per cent of Muslims thought they were. Mogahed and co-author Mohamed Younis said the findings showed how hard it was to draw broad conclusions about Muslim integration across Europe or develop policy as a result. They suggested that country of origin many Muslims in France are originally from North Africa, many in Germany are originally from Turkey, and in Britain from Pakistan or Bangladesh affected integration and/or its perception. That certainly appears to be the case when the surveys examined the importance of certain moral issues to Muslims and compared it to the general public in each country. Meanwhile, Asians and Africans see religion as most important in their daily lives, with Europeans least of the view that faith matters, according to a study published Thursday. The study also found that Muslims in key European states identify with their country of residence more than the general population, contrary to the widespread view that they are not loyal to their homeland. Bangladesh is the country with the most people 99 per cent agreeing that religion is part of their daily lives, followed by Pakistan, Afghanistan, Djibouti, Sierra Leone and Senegal within a few points. Meanwhile, only 20pc of people in Norway view religion as important, followed by France on 25pc, Britain on 29pc and the Netherlands on 33pc, according to the study co-authored by pollsters Gallup. The per centage of residents who say religion is important in their lives is much higher in Canada (45 per cent) and the United States (67 per cent)... than it is in many European countries, said the study. The study, by Gallup and the Coexist Foundation, notably highlighted findings suggesting that Muslims in Britain, France and Germany identify as much if not more with their countries as the general population. In Britain, more than three quarters 77 per cent of Muslims said they identified with the country, compared to only 50 per cent of the general public. In Germany, 40 per cent of Muslims identified with the country against 32 per cent of the wider public, while in France almost as many Muslims 52 per cent as the general public 55 per cent did so. This research shows that many of the assumptions about Muslims and integration are wide of the mark, said Dalia Mogahed, head of the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies. European Muslims want to be part of the wider community and contribute even more to society, she added.