The Girl Scouts of the USA has pushed back against criticism from right-wing commentator Natalie Winters, who accused the organisation of promoting Islamic content through badges awarded via its affiliated group, Girl Scouts of the Islamic Faith. Winters highlighted badges recognising activities such as sharing Ramadan with a friend and completing the Hajj pilgrimage, questioning how far "Islamic programming" had spread within the organisation. The row matters because it feeds into a wider culture-war debate in the US over religion, secularism and youth institutions, with the Girl Scouts insisting it remains a secular body that welcomes members of all faiths.

The GSUSA said the badges were created and administered by independent faith organisations, including the National Islamic Committee on Girl Scouting, rather than by the Girl Scouts itself, and dismissed Winters' claims as "misinformation". It noted similar faith-based badge programmes exist for numerous religions, including Roman Catholic, Jewish, Lutheran, Mormon, Presbyterian, Hindu and Buddhist groups, all approved for wear on the official uniform. Winters rejected the response as a "word game", insisting her reporting was factually accurate, while the Girl Scouts maintained it does not itself teach religion and is "proud of every girl" in its ranks.