San Diego, USA - A devout Muslim, Lallia Allali was drawn to the Girl Scouts because it shares many of the values of her religion, such as an emphasis on moral character, service and charity.
That's why about two years ago, Allali founded three Muslim Girl Scout troops at the Islamic Center of San Diego, the largest mosque in San Diego County, where her husband is the imam.
The troops, which serve about 50 girls, are among a growing number of Muslim Girl and Boy Scout troops sprouting up across the nation. A Muslim Cub Scout troop of about 25 boys also meets at the Islamic Center in Clairemont.
“In Girl Scouts, it teaches you to be confident. In Islam, it says you should be confident and never give up,” said Layla Elmi, 10, who attends school at the Islamic Center. “You can be friends with people of any skin color or religion. In Islam, it's the same thing.”
The Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts have for years been reaching out to Muslims and other religious groups, working with them to offer patches or medals tailored to their faiths. The Girl Scouts has made it known that the word “God” in its oath can be substituted with Allah (God in Arabic) or other words to fit one's beliefs.
“The Girl Scouts appreciates diversity. That's very important. It's important to teach our girls to accept our diversity, our differences,” said Allali, mother of three daughters, one a Brownie.
Muslim Girl Scout troops have formed in Phoenix, Nashville, Washington, D.C., and Santa Clara, but the organization does not track how many exist. The Islamic Committee on Girl Scouting in Connecticut estimates almost 1,000 Muslim girls participate in scouting. The Boy Scouts of America has counted nearly 2,000 Muslim Boy Scouts in 104 units affiliated with mosques and Islamic schools.
The Muslim troops, in some ways, serve as goodwill ambassadors for their religion and people. They reach out to peers who might have little or no understanding of Islam and whose exposure to it comes from television images of terrorism and Muslim extremists.
A Muslim Girl Scout troop from Santa Clara was featured in an ad campaign, “We're Americans and We're Muslims,” sponsored by the Council on American-Islamic Relations. A picture of smiling Muslim troop members from a recent multicultural fair at the Islamic Center adorns the 2005 annual report of the Girl Scouts' San Diego-Imperial Council.
During the opening ceremony of the February multicultural fair, Muslim Girl Scouts wearing head scarves linked hands with girls in jeans and T-shirts to make a big circle.
Together, they sang “It's a Small World” and recited the Girl Scout Promise. Later they visited one another's booths and sampled ethnic food. Some had their names written in Arabic and got their hands painted with intricate henna designs.
Non-Muslim guests were won over by the hospitality of their hosts.
“They are people instead of something you read about in newspapers,” said Megan Alcock, 15, who lives within a short distance of the Islamic Center and only recently became aware of its existence.
“It's just a couple of people who make the image bad for everyone,” said Ari Schechter, 15, who came with Alcock. “These people I've seen and met are really nice people.”
Throughout history, minorities have sought out scouting to help them integrate into American society.
“When you get into the more ethnic churches, then assimilation becomes more predominant as a motivation” to join the scouts, said Donald York, director of the relationship division for the Boy Scouts.
Immigrant parents, he said, want their children “to learn American ways and associate with other American citizens.”
In the 1920s and 1930s, large numbers of Jews enrolled their children in the Boy Scouts. In recent years, Armenian youths on the East and West coasts have embraced scouting on a large scale.
Like the Muslim troops in Clairemont, ethnic groups that form their own troops often combine standard scouting activities with cultural and religious activities that help their youngsters preserve their heritage.
The spiritual principals of Islam are a big part of Muslim troops. Their leaders try to reinforce values taught in scouting by citing relevant verses from the Koran.
Islam is one of the fastest growing religions in the world – about 80,000 to 100,000 Muslims call San Diego County home, and 6 million to 7 million followers live in the United States.
But it's also one of the least understood religions, according to a poll conducted by the Council on American-Islamic Relations in 2005. One in four Americans associates Islam with hatred and violence, and almost 60 percent say they know little or nothing about Islam.
Muslim leaders formed the National Islamic Committee on Scouting in 1982, after noticing there were no Muslim religious emblems in a well-established program that encourages youths to be stronger in their faith. The religious emblems program also includes Buddhists, Jews and others.
The Islamic Committee on Girl Scouting, which coordinates separate religious awards, has also been around for some two decades, as part of a larger faith-based recognition program sanctioned by Girl Scouts.
In 1993, Girl Scouts decided that the word “God” in its pledge could be substituted.
“We felt it's important girls can substitute the word 'God' with whatever is comfortable to them or their families,” Girl Scouts spokeswoman Marion Swan said. “We are very proud of the fact we are a very inclusive organization.”
The Clairemont-based Muslim Scouts are ardent advocates of tolerance, keenly aware that their acceptance of others is crucial to others accepting them.
“Even if you have different religions, you can be friends,” said Medeeha Khan, 9.
Judy Pritchett, who has been active with Girl Scouts since 1965, recalled a time when troops were mostly white. Today, her granddaughter's troop, she noted, is only a quarter white.
“It's awesome. The girls' families come from all over,” she said.
Many Muslim parents say they are attracted to scouting for the same reasons other parents are – to promote their children's growth through healthy activities.
Samar Dibas, whose daughters are scouts, said she likes how the Girl Scouts exposes them to the world and expands her mind.
“The girls can go out together. The families feel they are safe,” said Dibas, who is of Palestinian descent from Jordan.
Aisha Boulil, a mother and a middle school teacher at the Islamic school, said the Girl Scouts helps youngsters build a healthy identity.
“They grow up with a lot of confidence in who they are,” she said. “When they accept people around them. People accept them.”
Nure Elatari, communications director for the Arizona chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said Muslim Girl Scouts help break down the stereotype of oppressed Muslim women.
“It's definitely pushed them to integrate with society and let society know who Muslim women are,” she said.
Allali, who came from Algeria four years ago, said she has been overwhelmed with the support she has received from other troops and leaders. “The Girl Scouts here has a high level of diversity. When we talk about diversity, it's not just the word, it's not just talking. It's believing what we are doing is improving diversity,” she said.