Girl Scouts of America troops offer Muslim badges to be earned by learning pillars of Islam, visiting mosques

Girl Scout troops across the US are incorporating Islamic religious instruction, prayer and activities into scouting programs, according to a new investigation by White House correspondent Natalie Winters. The Girl Scouts of America has a faith program that allows religious groups to offer badges across a swath of religious faiths.

However, there are many Muslim-only troops across the US that are affiliated with mosques and engage in Islam-specific customs, such as halal foods, fasting during Ramadan, and wearing hijabs. Some troops require girls to wear hijabs and modesty garb despite the instruction that they must be prepared for outdoor physical activities.

Winters reported that mosque-based troops in several states have used Girl Scout programming to teach Islamic practices, including prayer, Ramadan and hijab. The examples involve individual troops and local councils rather than a nationwide requirement imposed on all Girl Scouts. Badges are made available through the National Islamic Center.

The Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) does officially recognize religious award programs operated by outside religious organizations. Its own faith materials identify the Islamic Committee on Girl Scouting and say it offers “Girl Scouts of the Islamic Faith” religious recognition awards, including medals. GSUSA also directs families toward religious organizations for information about the programs.

The Girl Scouts website profiled a North Carolina Muslim troop that formed following the targeted killing of three Muslim college students in 2015. The troop held and Open Mosque Day to invite people of the community in and answer questions. The Girl Scouts website celebrated their work bringing Islam into their broader community.

An all-Muslim Girl Scout troop was launched in New York City in 2026, the first in the borough of Manhattan. The group, sanctioned by the Islamic Leadership Council of New York, offers special badges for Islamic practice and met with first Muslim Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

Islamic faith-related patch programs have also existed for a number of years now in the organization. Available materials list Ramadan, Hajj, Jumaa and “Share Ramadan With a Friend” patches for Girl Scouts across different age levels. The programs are administered by Islamic organizations rather than GSUSA itself. In some instances, Girl Scout troops learn the pillars of Islam and can fulfil requirements by visiting mosques or learning about Muslim prayer practices to get the patches. 

Winters mentioned the SALAM Islamic Center in Sacramento, which hosted a Girl Scout event in February 2025. Girls were invited to try on hijabs, tour the mosque and learn about “the significance of modesty.” The mosque describes its Girl Scout program as promoting “Strong Islamic Values.”

Other examples include Girl Scout programs at the Islamic Center of Naperville, the Islamic Center of Long Island and Virginia’s ADAMS Center. Winters reported on her Substack that these programs use Islamic education or traditions into scouting activities.

The programming is not new and goes back to the early 2000s. A Girl Scout troop connected to PGMA in Washington, DC, advertised Ramadan overnight events dating back more than a decade. Activities included Islamic prayer, Quran and Hadith study, religious discussions and service during iftar. Girls were instructed to bring prayer garments or hijabs and Islamic educational materials.
 

Harvard University's Pluralism Project noted  that in 2006, Muslim parents were seeking ways to combat American culture in the US, and looked to the Boy Scouts. "Whatever their background, all Muslims face a common challenge: encouraging their children to practice Islam in a society often dominated by Christianity and the mass media... To respond to this challenge, mosques and Islamic centers across the country have started Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops that provide recreational programs for children while also incorporating elements of the Muslim faith," they wrote.

"The troops allow children to learn about their religion and culture and meet other kids from similar backgrounds. The troops mix traditional scout activities with ones that are designed specifically for Muslim children," they wrote. There were 112 Islamic Boy Scout troops in 2006.

In 2007, Girl Scout troops in Minneapolis just for Muslim girls was on the rise. The New York Times stated that while most Muslim scouts were, at the time, in secular, integrated troops, that began to change. "Minneapolis is something of an exception," they wrote, "because a few years ago the Girl Scout Council in Minneapolis surveyed its shrinking enrollment and established a special outreach coordinator" for Muslims in the area. That resulted in "about 10 predominantly Muslim troops" in Minneapolis. 

In a statement released on Tuesday, the Girl Scouts wrote: "There's misinformation circulating online today about Girl Scouts and religion. Here are the facts: Girl Scouts is not a religious organization and does not teach religion. For more than a century, we've welcomed girls of every faith and background. Our national My Promise, My Faith pin invites girls to connect the Girl Scout Law with their own faith. Any other faith-based patches are developed by independent faith organizations, not Girl Scouts of the USA. Girl Scouts is proudly for every girl," the statement concludes.