When the boys at ISB began proudly showing off their merit badges and camping stories, the girls of the community quickly asked, “What about us?” Mothers knew their daughters needed the same sense of belonging, leadership, and adventure, but tailored to their own experiences. Out of that need came Maryland’s first Muslim Girl Scout troop.
The troop began in the late 1980s with a handful of girls, ages eight to twelve, meeting in the mosque’s multipurpose room. At first, it looked like any other Girl Scout gathering, uniforms with green sashes, crafts on folding tables, and talk of badges. But there was something distinct: Qur’an recitation began each meeting, and the lessons often blended faith with scouting values.
The girls learned how to pitch tents and build fires, but they also learned how to lead prayers outdoors. They sold cookies at local stands, but they wore hijabs proudly while doing it, answering curious questions from neighbors. Instead of singing campfire songs about marshmallows, they wrote their own songs that celebrated faith, friendship, and fun.
Their first camping trip was unforgettable. Mothers chaperoned, setting up tents beside their daughters, teaching them how to balance independence with safety. At night, the girls gathered under the stars, listening to stories of Khadijah, Aisha, and other women of Islam, realizing they too were part of a legacy of strong Muslim women.
For many of the girls, the troop changed their lives. It gave them confidence to speak up at school, to explain their hijab with pride, to see themselves not as outsiders but as leaders. Parents noticed the change, their daughters stood taller, their voices firmer, their friendships deeper.
In time, the troop grew, inspiring similar groups across Maryland. Girl Scout sashes in mosques became a familiar sight, and badges earned ranged from camping and cooking to Qur’an memorization and community service.
Looking back, those early Girl Scouts became pioneers in their own right. Many grew up to be doctors, teachers, community organizers, but they still remembered the days of camping under the stars, selling cookies in hijab, and learning that being Muslim and American were not opposites, but two parts of the same whole.
The first Muslim Girl Scout troop in Maryland taught a generation of young women something powerful. The learned that leadership can be taught, faith can be practiced, and joy can be discovered in both cookies and prayer.