Girls Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) responded on Wednesday, August 26th, 2026, to reports alleging that mosque-based Girl Scout troops across several states incorporated Islamic prayer, hijab lessons, and faith-specific patches into their activities. GSUSA stated that these programs are independently run by outside faith organizations and are optional for participants.

A GSUSA spokesperson told Fox News Digital, "Girl Scouts is proudly for every girl. Contrary to misinformation circulating online, 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."

The spokesperson also explained that the national "My Promise, My Faith" pin encourages girls to connect the Girl Scout Law with their own faith, but any other faith-based patches are developed independently and participation is voluntary.

Echoing concerns about religious inclusivity, Bougher of No Girl Scout said, "No Girl Scout chapter should push one faith over another by incentivizing it with badges some girls, because of their own faith, will not be able to earn."

Separately, an American Heritage Girls (AHG) spokesperson noted that families are informed upfront about the Christian foundation of their programming, stating, "Every family is told upfront, before they ever join a troop, that our programming — including our curriculum, activities, or any other facet of the ministry — is built around a relationship with Jesus." The spokesperson added that AHG vets outside materials to ensure consistency with its Christian mission.

GSUSA urged a refocus on its core mission rather than engaging in ideological disputes that might endorse particular faiths or exclude scouts from earning merit badges.

Sources