Independent journalist Natalie Winters alleges that Girl Scout troops linked to mosques are operating around the country and that faith‑specific awards tied to Islam are available under the Girl Scouts banner. Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) disputes the reporting, calling it “misinformation.”
What the investigation alleges
According to Winters, Girl Scout troops operate out of mosques “from coast to coast,” and a National Islamic Committee on Girl Scouting (referred to in the source as NICGS/NIGCS) created awards for a “Girl Scout of the Islamic Faith.” The source reports that these awards include “Bismillah,” “In the Name of Allah,” “Qurat ul A’in,” and “Muslimeen,” and that the committee says they emphasize the “theory and practice of Islam.” The source further claims the committee offers a Hajj patch and a “Hajj Passport.”
The source describes additional patches and activities it links to Girl Scouts programming, including an “All about Islam” patch the source associates with the Girl Scout Bronze Award and activities such as fasting and a “Share Ramadan with a Friend” patch. Per the source’s description, younger girls could invite non‑Muslim friends to an iftar and explain the fast; older girls could bring friends to a mosque to observe prayers. The source characterizes this as promoting Islam.
Winters’ reporting, as summarized in the source, cites mosque‑based troops in Sacramento (at the SALAM mosque), the Washington, D.C., area (including a Ramadan “Lock‑In” where attendees were instructed to bring prayer garments), and in Naperville, Long Island, Virginia, Brooklyn, and San Diego. The source says the SALAM mosque hosted an event for the broader Girl Scout community that included a hijab photo booth, modesty lessons, and an “informative booth about Palestine.”
Separately, The Post Millennial is cited by the source as reporting that nearly a dozen “predominantly Muslim” Girl Scout troops formed in Minneapolis after deliberate outreach by GSUSA to Muslims in 2007.
Girl Scouts pushes back
GSUSA responded to the reports by calling them “misinformation.” In a statement quoted in the source, GSUSA said: “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.”
