Libya's top Islamic body issues fatwa against buying or wearing Nike

Libya's highest Islamic religious authority, the Dar al-Ifta, has issued a fatwa telling Muslims to stop buying, selling and wearing Nike products. The ruling was approved by the country's Grand Mufti, Sadiq al-Gharyani, and is numbered 6697.

A fatwa is a religious opinion on a point of Islamic law. It is not the same as a government order, and this one does not announce a state ban on Nike in Libya or set out any penalties for people who keep wearing or trading the brand.

The Tripoli-based body said the name Nike comes from Greek mythology, where it belongs to the goddess of victory, and that the company's swoosh logo was inspired by her wings. It argued that wearing the logo amounts to promoting symbols linked to polytheism, the worship of more than one god.

Libya is home to the ancient Greek city of Cyrene, whose archaeological remains include a statue of the goddess.

Israel boycott call and mixed reactions

The authority also accused Nike of supporting Israel. It pointed to a November 2023 statement from its Council for Research and Sharia Studies urging Muslims to boycott companies it considers supportive of Israel during the war in Gaza, and asked traders and consumers to drop such goods, especially non-essential ones.

The BBC said it had contacted Nike for comment. There was no immediate public response from the company in the reports reviewed.

Reactions on social media were mixed, according to the reports. Some users welcomed the ruling, while others questioned its weight, calling it ironic or a distraction from more pressing problems.

The fatwa fits a wider pattern. Last year the same body ruled against jewellery and watches bearing the Van Cleef & Arpels logo, saying its four-leaf clover design was tied to Christian beliefs and the pursuit of good luck. In 2025, authorities in eastern Libya restricted rap music, theatre and dance, citing public morals and Islamic values, and the measures were later extended to the west.

Nike has no official store in Libya, but its products reach shoppers through local sportswear retailers. Nike and Adidas are popular across North Africa, and counterfeit versions are common in local markets.

Libya remains politically split, with rival authorities in the east and west since Muammar Gaddafi was toppled in 2011. Rulings from Dar al-Ifta can carry social weight even when they are not enforceable by law.

What happens next

Nothing changes formally for shoppers or shop owners unless Libyan authorities turn the opinion into an enforceable order, which the reports do not indicate. For now the fatwa is guidance to the faithful, and its practical effect will depend on how seriously people and traders in Libya take it.