Libya’s Dar al-Ifta Issues Fatwa Prohibiting Nike Clothing Over Religious and Political Concerns

Libya’s highest religious authority, the Dar al-Ifta, has issued a religious ruling prohibiting Muslims from purchasing, selling, or wearing apparel featuring the Nike logo.

The Tripoli-based institution states that the American sportswear company takes its name from the Greek goddess of victory, and that its iconic swoosh logo was inspired by her wings.

The ruling contends that displaying the logo amounts to promoting symbols linked to polytheism—the worship of multiple deities.

Libya contains the ancient Greek city of Cyrene, where archaeological sites include a statue of the goddess bearing the same name.

The religious committee also accused Nike of supporting Israel and urged a boycott of companies backing the country.

It cited a November 5, 2023, statement from its Council for Research and Sharia Studies, which called on Muslims to boycott Western firms deemed supportive of Israel during the Gaza war.

The fatwa, a nonbinding religious opinion on Islamic law, was endorsed by Libya’s Grand Mufti, Sadiq al-Gharyani.

The BBC has sought comment from Nike.

Dar al-Ifta is an influential religious body based in Tripoli, western Libya. The nation remains politically split, with competing authorities in the east and west following years of conflict after longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi was ousted in 2011.

While its rulings hold substantial social sway, they are not automatically government mandates or legally enforceable.

Last year, the institution ruled against jewelry and watches bearing the logo of French luxury house Van Cleef & Arpels, arguing that its four-leaf clover motif is associated with Christian beliefs and luck, which it said conflicts with Islamic teachings.

The newest fatwa does not impose a state ban on Nike products or define penalties for those who continue to buy or wear them.

Reaction on social media was divided, with some users endorsing the ruling while others dismissed it as ironic or a distraction from urgent issues.

The decision arrives amid broader discussions over growing religious conservatism in Libyan public life.

In 2025, authorities in eastern Libya imposed restrictions on rap music, theater, and dance performances, citing concerns that certain lyrics and acts violated public morals and Islamic values.

Those measures were later extended to western Libya.

Dar al-Ifta has previously issued rulings against music, though no clear evidence links it directly to the performance restrictions.

Nike has no official store in Libya, though Nike-branded goods are sold through local sportswear retailers.

Sportswear brands including Nike and Adidas remain popular throughout North Africa.

In Libya, as elsewhere in the region, counterfeit versions of major sportswear brands are also sold in local markets.

Source link