Girl Scouts denies teaching religion amid scrutiny of Muslim faith awards, mosque visits
Girl Scouts of the USA has rejected claims that it teaches Islam or promotes any religion through its national programme, after reports highlighted mosque-based troops offering Islamic activities such as prayer, Quran study, Ramadan observances and hijab lessons. The organisation said it is non-religious, welcomes girls of all faiths and backgrounds, and treats religious activities as optional programmes run independently by faith organisations.
GSUSA permits faith groups to create and administer religious-recognition curricula whose insignia may be worn on uniforms; its website lists four Islamic recognitions alongside programmes from many other religious traditions. Critics, including a Moms for Liberty representative, argued that faith-specific badges could exclude girls of different beliefs, while the cited examples involved local troops, councils and external organisations in California, Illinois, New York and Virginia rather than a compulsory national curriculum.
- Girl Scouts says it does not teach religion nationally.
- Faith-based badges are optional and independently administered.
- Critics question whether religious badges can exclude some girls.