Muslim Girl Scouts Benefit from Skills and Sisterhood
By Rabiyah Syed
Mar/Apr 2024
When you hear about “Girl Scouts,” the first thought that comes to mind is young girls going
door to door selling cookies. However, Girl Scouts is much more than that. This organization was founded more than a century ago to help young women grow into leaders. Through different activities, they build confidence, hone leadership skills, and contribute to their community. Girl Scouts comprise different age groups, ethnicities, and faith/non-faith backgrounds. In major U.S. cities, one can easily find all-Muslim troops as well as Muslims in other troops.
Founded in 1912 by Juliette Gordon Low (d.1927), Girls Scouts encourages girls to embrace their strengths and empowers them to become their best selves. The initial goal was to enable them to use their newly learned skills to fight for change at a time when women were bound by strict social norms and had fewer rights. The organization has grown tremendously since then. Although we do not have exact numbers for Muslim girl scouts, in 2020 there were 1.7 million girl scouts in the U.S. alone.
One of these empowered girl scouts is Boston’s Amber Ali, who started her journey in sixth grade. Having to change troops when she entered high school, she remained a dedicated scout until graduating in 2019.
“I joined the troop as a way to do something that would take me out of my comfort zone and allow me to do activities that I wouldn’t have done otherwise,” she reminisced.
Her troop went camping, to water parks, haunted houses, and even took trips to New York City. These were some of the activities she enjoyed, as they allowed her to connect with a large group of people with whom she might have never interacted. The scouting experience, she remarked, allowed her to make many new memories and have new experiences.
“My troop was warm and welcoming. When you are the only Muslim, you have to do a little bit of educating, especially during Ramadan. However, they were very open and accepting, so I never felt any discrimination.”
Earning Badges
Girl Scouts complete specific activities to earn badges. For instance, they must pass a training regimen to receive their First Aid badge. Badges are a big part of scouting, for they symbolize the essential skills learned. Some troop leaders decide which ones the scouts will earn and at what time based on the troop members’ skill set; others let the scouts decide.
Aamina Masood, a Plano, Texas, troop leader for 13 years, began as a volunteer before moving up the ranks to troop leader. As a member of the Girl Scout Service Unit, she also guides leaders from other troops on how to plan activities. She lets her scouts decide what they want to do to earn their badges.
“Girl Scouts is girl-led,” she noted. “When they are younger, I give them two choices for activities. But once they’re older, they make their own choices and come up with their own ideas on what they want to do. I don’t force my opinions on them.”
While the girls can engage in a vast selection of projects, many of the badge names and activities are open to interpretation. As the leaders determine which activities can be completed, based on the scouts’ abilities, they sometimes adapt the latter’s envisioned projects to make them more practical. Thus the scouts can still earn badges while absorbing new and relevant information. Masood likes to add a religious angle to the activities.
“I like to add some Islamic perspective and try to get the point across to the girls on what they’ve already done in school,” she remarked. “For instance, when we do the water journey badge we encourage scouts not to use more than three cups of water for wudu’. This teaches them the sunna and water conservation as well. They practice, and we discuss the results.”
This is just one example of how Masood’s troops have adapted to their environment. Adaptation is a necessary skill for the scouts, whether they are in a majority-Muslim group or not.
Diversity, and the Lack Thereof
As a Muslim scout, Ali had to adjust how she completed certain activities. For example, she would choose vegetarian options during cooking activities due to the lack of halal ingredients. When her troop scheduled camping trips or New York trips during Ramadan, she would explain how she couldn’t eat or drink during the day. When going to the waterpark, she dressed more modestly compared to many of the other girls.
“I would have liked to see more diversity in the troops,” Ali stated. “It would have helped me and the other girls have more exposure to different cultural practices.”
Other than the lack of diversity, Ali really enjoyed her time as a Girl Scout. Her troop gave her experience with things that were less familiar to her immigrant parents. For example, she was introduced to more American foods and various aspects of mainstream culture. Her troop provided her with a different perspective and other valuable experiences that helped her give back to her community.
“I think I got a lot out of it and don’t have any complaints,” Ali stated.
Masood’s troop, however, is very culturally diverse, as it consists of scouts from Malaysia, Iran, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Britain, and Canada. Culture doesn’t play an incredibly large role in their activities, but she still tries to incorporate not only the scouts’ religion(s), but also their cultural practices.
“When our scouts learn the Girl Scout promise, I encourage them to learn it both in English and their native language,” Masood said.
Being in a diverse community allows girls to learn about other cultures both inside and outside their specific troop. This is especially the case with Masood’s troop, as it has had the opportunity to visit other troops in Texas and teach them about Islam.
“We have given presentations about Ramadan. We also went to another troop presentation about Day of the Dead. It’s really good [to] hear other perspectives and learn how other people think,” Masood remarked. “It builds tolerance.”
Being culturally diverse has its benefits, but so does being a mostly Muslim troop, for being able to connect on a religious level is an incredibly powerful thing.
“We really enjoy Ramadan with our iftar potlucks,” Masood said. “Even when we go camping and sleep outdoors overnight, parents feel comfortable having their girls go with other Muslimas. It creates a real sense of sisterhood.”
Masood has seen Girl Scouts gain a deeper understanding of their religion and become able to apply religious aspects to their lives, while also learning to be independent. She feels a sense of fulfillment as a leader, especially when she sees her former scouts who are now in college.
Confidence and Community Service
In addition to teaching leadership skills and relaying new information, Girl Scouts also promotes giving back to the community through its three main service projects: the Gold, Silver, and Bronze awards. The project varies for each age group. Many scouts like Ali are extremely motivated to give back to the community by completing their Gold award.
“I was inspired by a family friend to do service projects because I realized it was an opportunity to do a meaningful, impactful project on my own.” Ali said. “For my Gold award, I worked on an educational program about the opioid crisis.”
Thanks to these incentives, young women get the chance to use the skills they learned in their Girl Scout troops to help create sustainable solutions to community problems and become the leaders of tomorrow.
Read about the first Muslim Girl Scouts President here.
We would love to hear from Muslim Boy Scouts too. If you are a scout or a leader, please reach out to us at [email protected] for a future story.
Rabiyah Syed, a student at Naperville Central (Ill.), loves photography and is interested in pursuing a career in the medical field.
Tell us what you thought by joining our Facebook community. You can also send comments and story pitches to [email protected]. Islamic Horizons does not publish unsolicited material.