An exclusive investigation has uncovered a nationwide pattern of Girl Scout troops based at mosques incorporating Islamic prayer, Quranic instruction, and lessons on hijab into activities conducted under the Girl Scouts banner.
“A standout attraction was the hijab photo booth,” according to the SALAM Islamic Center’s account of a February 2025 Girl Scout event at its Sacramento mosque.
Girls were invited to try on hijabs while learning about “the significance of modesty.” The event also included mosque tours and “an informative booth about Palestine.”
The Girl Scout who organized the event said she wanted to share the mosque with the “broader Girl Scout community.”SALAM has not published a clear photograph of either booth, the materials presented about Palestine, or any parent notice explaining the religious components.
SALAM openly advertises its Girl Scout program as providing “Strong Islamic Values.” Its Education page repeats the phrase while listing Girl Scouts alongside the mosque’s weekend school, Quran memorization program, and Islamic-learning center.
The mosque’s bylaws direct its Education Committee to review the activities of youth groups including Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts. They require: “Such programs shall be in accordance with the ideology of SALAM and its principles.”
Girl Scouts Heart of Central California knew about SALAM’s religious integration years earlier.
The council’s 2009 annual report said four troops with 30 girls began meeting at SALAM and incorporated Girl Scouting into the mosque’s youth programming. It highlighted a Ramadan sleepover involving fasting and girls “praying through the night.”
A Troop 972 leader explained the arrangement plainly: “we just incorporate our religion into the framework that Girl Scouts provides.
”
SALAM placed the February 2025 Girl Scout gathering inside its broader school and university outreach report.
That report described SALAM educating 45 Elk Grove Unified School District teachers about Islam, fasting, prayer accommodations, and Muslim students. It also detailed presentations to seventh graders and a mosque visit for Sacramento State students.
The same document announced World Thinking Day “in partnership with the Girl Scouts.”
SALAM is not an isolated example.
The Islamic Center of Naperville says its K–12 troops follow Girl Scout principles while adhering to “our core Islamic values.” Its current materials instruct girls to bring a headscarf for salah, or Islamic prayer.
The Islamic Center of Long Island has hosted Girl Scouts since 2005 and states: “Combining Islamic education with scout activity is our prime goal.”
At Virginia’s ADAMS Center, the Girl Scout program incorporates Islamic traditions so girls can develop “without compromising their faith,” including celebrating Islamic holidays and earning an Islam patch.
A 2012 PGMA Girl Scouts event invited Girl Scouts to an overnight Ramadan program featuring taraweeh prayer, Quran and Hadith study, and religious discussion. The supply list included prayer garments, hijabs, Islamic books, and a Quran.
Girl Scouts of the USA has promoted the same model. A national GSUSA feature celebrated Orange County troops that hosted an Open Mosque Day for Girl Scout families, including a mosque tour and presentations connecting Islam to the Girl Scout Promise and Law.
That article also says organizers permitted one troop to represent Palestine at World Thinking Day after initially denying its request.
Other mosque-based troops operate through Brooklyn’s Masjid At-Taqwa, California’s Muslim Community Center East Bay, and the Islamic Center of San Diego, where historical programming included prayer, Ramadan, Muslim badges, hijab discussions, and outreach to visiting Girl Scouts.
No posts
Comments
Nothing yet. Say the first thing.
Sign in to join the conversation.