Muslim Scouts of France

The Muslim Scouts of France, known in French as Scouts Musulmans de France (SMF), is a Muslim Scouting organization operating in France. It provides age-based youth activities for boys and girls from approximately eight to twenty-one years old, combining the methods and traditions of the international Scouting and Guiding movements with a Muslim educational and spiritual framework. The organization is headquartered in Noisy-le-Grand and has been described as having about 1,000 members. SMF was founded in 1990 by Sheikh Khaled Bentounès, the spiritual leader of the Sufi Alawiya Brotherhood. Its creation established a specifically Muslim association within the French Scouting landscape while retaining the movement’s broader emphasis on personal development, community life, outdoor activity, service, responsibility, and cooperation. The organization’s religious identity is reflected in its emblem, whose central five-pointed star represents Muslim belief, while the fleur-de-lis and trefoil connect the association to Scouting and Guiding traditions. The association is structured into four age sections. Voyageurs and Voyageuses generally cover ages eight to twelve and operate within a Cercle. Éclaireurs and Éclaireuses serve young people roughly eleven to fifteen years old in a Troupe. Pionniers and Pionnières are intended for ages fourteen to eighteen and belong to a Poste. Compagnons and Compagnonnes form the oldest section, for participants approximately seventeen to twenty-one, organized in a Relais. The overlapping age ranges allow progression between sections and reflect the organization’s emphasis on continuity from childhood into youth leadership and community participation. SMF is part of the Fédération du Scoutisme Français, the Federation of French Scouting. Through that federation, it is connected to the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts and the World Organization of the Scout Movement. It is also a member of the International Union of Muslim Scouts. These affiliations place the organization within both the national French Scouting structure and wider international Scouting and Muslim Scouting networks. The association is a youth movement rather than a conventional commercial brand. Its principal offering consists of local Scout units, age-section activities, training, group life, outdoor education, and service-oriented participation. Public reference material identifies Younes Aberkane as one of SMF’s first leaders; he later became a director of Terre d’Europe, a similar organization. Beyond these documented organizational details, publicly available reference material provides limited information about current governance, finances, membership trends, and the geographic distribution of local units.

The Muslim Scouts of France, or Scouts Musulmans de France (SMF), was established in France in 1990 by Sheikh Khaled Bentounès, identified in reference material as the spiritual leader of the Sufi Alawiya Brotherhood. The association was created as a Muslim Scouting body for boys and girls, using the educational structure and practices of the Scouting movement while expressing a distinct Muslim identity. From its foundation, SMF developed as an age-structured youth organization. Its program is divided into four sections with overlapping age boundaries. Voyageurs and Voyageuses generally serve children from eight to twelve years old and meet in a Cercle. Éclaireurs and Éclaireuses cover approximately ages eleven to fifteen and belong to a Troupe. Pionniers and Pionnières serve participants from roughly fourteen to eighteen in a Poste. The Compagnons and Compagnonnes section, organized in a Relais, extends the pathway to young adults between approximately seventeen and twenty-one. This structure provides a progression from introductory participation to more advanced youth responsibility and leadership. The organization’s visual identity expresses its dual connection to Muslim belief and the international Scout and Guide traditions. Its badge includes a red fleur-de-lis associated with allegiance to the Scout movement, positioned on a green trefoil associated with the Guide movement. A five-pointed star in the center represents the association’s Muslim faith identity. SMF became part of the Fédération du Scoutisme Français. Through this national federation, it is linked to the World Organization of the Scout Movement and the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. It is also identified as a member of the International Union of Muslim Scouts, giving it a place within a broader network of Muslim Scout organizations. The association is headquartered in Noisy-le-Grand and has been described as having approximately 1,000 members. Younes Aberkane, the father of Idriss Aberkane, was one of its first leaders. He later became a director of Terre d’Europe, described in the reference material as a similar organization. The available public material does not provide a detailed chronology of later leadership, organizational expansion, membership changes, finances, or program reforms. Accordingly, the documented history is strongest for the organization’s founding, structure, affiliations, emblem, and early leadership.

• 1990

  Organization founded

  [1]Muslim Scouts of Franceen.wikipedia.org

  Sheikh Khaled Bentounès founded the Muslim Scouts of France as a Muslim Scouting organization in France.

• Joined the French Scouting federation

  [1]Muslim Scouts of Franceen.wikipedia.org

  SMF became part of the Fédération du Scoutisme Français, linking it through the federation to the World Organization of the Scout Movement and the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts.

• Joined the International Union of Muslim Scouts

  [1]Muslim Scouts of Franceen.wikipedia.org

  The organization is identified as a member of the International Union of Muslim Scouts.

A French Muslim youth movement that applies Scouting and Guiding methods within an explicitly Muslim cultural and spiritual setting, while participating in national and international Scouting networks.

• Scouting section

  Voyageurs and Voyageuses

  The youngest documented SMF section serves boys and girls approximately eight to twelve years old. Participants belong to a Cercle and begin their progression through the association’s Scout and Guide activities, group life, and age-appropriate educational program.

• Scouting section

  Éclaireurs and Éclaireuses

  This intermediate section is intended for participants roughly eleven to fifteen years old and is organized in a Troupe. It represents the central stage of the SMF youth pathway, combining Scouting activities with collective responsibility and personal development.

• Scouting section

  Pionniers and Pionnières

  Serving young people approximately fourteen to eighteen years old, the Pionniers and Pionnières operate in a Poste. The section extends the organization’s educational and community-oriented work for older adolescents and prepares participants for greater initiative.

• Scouting section

  Compagnons and Compagnonnes

  The oldest documented section serves young adults approximately seventeen to twenty-one years old and is organized in a Relais. It provides the final stage of the age-based SMF pathway and is associated with continued participation, responsibility, and youth leadership.

1. 1Muslim Scouts of Franceen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Muslim Scouts of France official websitescoutsmusulmans.fr