Lord Baden Powell, the founder of the Boy Scout movement, would have been surprised! He wanted his Scouts to be troopers for the British empire. Young British boys and girls, learning the techniques of survival and camaraderie and civilized behavior even in stressful conditions.
But the Scouts movement has spread worldwide, and now the New York Times reports that Muslim girls are joining the Girl Scouts in many American cities. Why? Basically in order to assimilate and become American! "It's kind of cool to say you are a girl scout," one Muslim girl says. "It is good to have something to associate yourself with other Americans. I like to be able to say that I am a girl scout just like any other normal girl."
Sure, some of the Muslim clubs are a little different in that they incorporate Muslim traditions. In Minneapolis one of the Scout groups is called the Khadija Club after the prophet Muhammad's first wife. So far Muslim groups have shown no hesitation, however, in extending membership to non-Muslims.
To some liberals, it may seem surprising that young Muslim girls are joining a conservative group like the Scouts. Recall that the Scouts have been hauled into court several times for refusing to embrace homosexuality. Some liberal groups are outraged that the Boy Scouts is uncomfortable with the idea of gay troop leaders taking young boys into the wilderness! Such prudery!
But it is precisely the traditional values of the Scouts that draw young Muslims. Somehow these religious and modest girls are not attracted by what liberal culture has to offer. Given the choice of trying out for "The Vagina Monologues" or taking up Scouting, they prefer Scouting. If he knew this, that wily old imperialist Lord Baden Powell would have chuckled.
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Muslim Girls Choose Scouts Over Vagina Monologues
Posted Nov 29th 2007 8:43AM by Dinesh D'Souza
Filed under: Islam, Gay and Lesbian, Cultural Left, History
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Reader Comments ( Page 4 of 12)
46. BAWAA, my first question I'm seriously scratching my head at is how is the BSA a paramilitary organization? Secondly how is the BSA a Mormon organization? I think there are a lot of LDS kids that participate in the program, but it is not an organization that promotes one religion or another. In fact you don't really have to be Christian or Muslim or anything other than atheist... OK, never mind it makes sense why you hate the BSA now.
Marc at 2:51PM on Nov 29th 2007
47. Stuart,
Great at least he does take time to read what we write whether or not we agree or disagree. Mr. D'Souza is a great columnist due to his understanding that while not being born in America and the natural graces that we all take for granted, he unfortunately has left his mother country to come here to live. To me that says a lot about a person. Would you or any other American really want to not have the freedoms that we have? To be able to argue without the fright of some kind of retribution from the government. I think is a pretty good guide in itself. We can sit here and have these sessions everyday all day long and at the end of the day we just have to agree to disagree. Maybe, that is what Mr. D'Souza is trying to get across. You think? Rita
Rita at 3:34PM on Nov 29th 2007
48. While I do see Mr. D'Souza's point, that Muslim American girls are embracing the conservative rather than liberal ideology, I have to agree with the critics this time. Comparing girl scouts to the "Vagina Monologues" is a poor choice of words. I'm certain this could have been phrased better.
Having said that, most of the comments posted about this blog are the meanest that I've ever seen on the web. Few, if any, of these people have read or considered what Mr. D'Souza has to say and their comments are usually just bitter and vindictive.
Visiting Atheist sites, I see the same cruelty and lack of respect towards Christians and other religions. Those who write such comments should consider the feelings of others.
No, you don't have to be a Christian if you don't want to.
But is civility toward those you disagree with really so hard?
Steve at 3:36PM on Nov 29th 2007
49. http://onegoodmovemedia.org/movies/0711/patcondellwhydebatedogma.mov
...nuff said.
Bob at 3:42PM on Nov 29th 2007
50. "The Vagina Monologues" is not simply about menopausal women. It is an exploitive, secular progressive agenda piece, which, among other things, uses relativism to justify a menopausal women's statutory rape of a young girl by suggesting that the girl might some day look back on the event as somehow a "good" experience. If not for its hot buttons, it would have been tossed into the trash heap of poor writing craft years ago. In so, it exploits not only women, young girls, and true reason, but also the art of stage writing.
Dinesh's point is well suited for our times. The younger generation is showing signs of rejecting the 'relative' ethics of the generation which embraced the sorts of ideas presented in "The Vagina Monologues." They are, instead continuing mankind's millennia-long search for 'truth'. They are finding it, appropriately, in organizations which promote values derived from a heritage of true philosophy, which points to an ultimate good, and true theology, which points to a good God.
Alex at 3:46PM on Nov 29th 2007
51. Marc,
Watch the Penn & Teller expose on the Boy Scouts. And what a wonderful poisoning the well fallacy you committed, too.
But then: you're an idiot.
Knight_of_BAAWA at 3:51PM on Nov 29th 2007
52. It is a good sign that MORE Muslims are getting involved in Scouting troops.
I grew up in the west and was in a Muslim Boy Scout troop twenty years ago. I think we were one of the original Islamic groups back in the day.
Al-Murabitoon 76'ers.
Funny that I still know that.
Listen to the live radio show discussing Islam in the west.
Hot Conflict radio show
11 PM central 9 PM PST
To call into the show
310-984-7600 or
631-247-9003
show code # 232885
http://www.HotConflict.com
Saleem Siddiqui at 4:01PM on Nov 29th 2007
53. Does anyone know what Steve #43 is whining about?
He needs to show what posts he is talking about.
Linda at 4:03PM on Nov 29th 2007
54. "Some liberal groups are outraged that the Boy Scouts is uncomfortable with the idea of gay troop leaders taking young boys into the wilderness! Such prudery!"
Oh, I see, because Gay guys just can't resist little boys. Then again, you hang around churches alot, so I can understand why'd you think that.
kckid125 at 4:05PM on Nov 29th 2007
55. So Knight relies on Penn & Teller for his theological and political perspectives.
Hmmm….
Let’s reviews some facts:
The Mormon church (LDS) was the first institutional sponsor of the BSA (1913 I believe).
Scouting is an official program of the LDS (I believe LDS boys are required to participate in BSA)
The LDS is the largest $ contributor to the BSA.
Depending on the year, ~20% of scouts are members of the LDS (~400,000)
These facts could be used to support the position that the BSA is an arm of the LDS.
However, there are some other facts that dispute that claim:
The Roman Catholic church is the 4th largest $ contributor.
~20% of scouts are members of the United Methodist church (~400,000)
The UMC sponsors MORE scout dens/troops (i.e., groups) than even the LDS!
If the Courts had ordered the BSA to allow gay scout leaders, the LDS was prepared to leave the BSA and create its own scouting program.
Note that this last fact suggests that the LDS's role is subservient to the BSA, not the other way.
Here is a list of church organizations that support the BSA:
African Methodist Episcopal
African Methodist Episcopal Zion
Armenian
Assembly of God
Baha'i
Baptist
Brethren
Buddhist
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Christian Methodist Episcopal
Christian Missionary Alliance
Christian Science
Church of Christ
Church of God
Cumberland PresbyterianEastern Orthodox
Eastern Rite Catholic
Episcopal
Friends
New Jerusalem (Swedenborgians)
Hindu
Islamic
Jewish
Lutheran
Meher Baba
Mennonite
Moravian
Mormon
Nazarene
Pentecostal
Polish National Catholic
Presbyterian Church of America
Presbyterian Church (USA)
Reformed
Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
Roman Catholic
Seventh Day Adventist
Salvation Army
Unitarian Universalist
United Church of Christ
United Methodist
Unity
Wesleyan
Zoroastrian
Hmmmm....
Using Knight’s logic, then, the USA is indeed a Christian nation.
I know this claim has been debated just recently by at least two different AOL blogs, but, it seems that Knight is now agreeing with many of those who claim that the USA is a Christian nation.
After all, Christians are the largest religious group in the USA.
Most of the founding fathers were “Christian”.
Most of the presidents were Christian.
Actually we can take Knight’s logic even further and claim that the USA is a Southern Baptist nation. Presidents Carter and Clinton (both active in SBC, at least during their presidencies) and the size of the SBC suggest that the USA is a Southern Baptist nation!
Wow! (snicker)
ray at 4:21PM on Nov 29th 2007
56. I was totally agreeing with DD this time until he brought in the fact that liberals will be astounded. I doubt anyone really cares that muslim Americans are starting their own scout troops. Binesh only tries to add controversy to everything he touches because he knows his blogs have become extremely polarized. (Also I liked on the first page whoever mentioned if they were boy troops what play would they be choosing it over...that was funny and proves my point) Binesh just writes something sits back and laughs smugly while saying to himself, "that ought to rile up the monkeys."
danny at 4:32PM on Nov 29th 2007
57. It's so funny to see amateurs try to out-logic the KNIGHT. He's a pro.
MC Hammer at 4:34PM on Nov 29th 2007
58. You are right, danny
DD is the king of Polemia
Linda at 4:37PM on Nov 29th 2007
59. Interesting, I have a few conservative friends who went to see "The Vagina Monologues" and loved it.
Kinda like that "Desperate Housewives" show is most popular in red states. Go figure.
David S. at 4:56PM on Nov 29th 2007
60. Dinesh - I'm concerned that your post could misinform people about the Girl Scouts. The Girl Scouts are not a conservative organization; they have given up on almost every principle on which they were founded nearly 100 years ago.
The trend toward political correctness in Girl Scouting began in the 1970s. Betty Friedan served on the national board. Since then, "loyalty" has been deleted from the Girl Scout law, as was the idea that a Girl Scout should be "clean in thought, word, and deed." Unlike the Boy Scouts, the Girl Scouts admit openly homosexual members and leaders and open atheists. They have frequently partnered with Planned Parenthood for their sex education programs.
Today's Girl Scouts are obsessed with self-esteem rather than honor and political correctness over personal character. An alternative is the American Heritage Girls, at www.ahgonline.org
Hans Zeiger
Eagle Scout
Scouting Legal Defense Fund
Author, Get Off My Honor: The Assault on the Boy Scouts of America
Hans Zeiger at 5:14PM on Nov 29th 2007