Libya’s highest non secular authority, the Dar al-Ifta, has issued a ruling banning Muslims from shopping for, promoting or sporting clothes bearing the Nike emblem.
The ruling, issued by the Tripoli-based establishment, states that the US sportswear giant was named after the Greek goddess of victory and that its well-known swoosh emblem was impressed by her wings.
It argued that sporting clothes displaying the emblem amounted to selling symbols related “with polytheism,” or the worship of more than one god.
Libya is home to the historical Greek metropolis of Cyrene, where archaeological stays embody a statue of the Greek goddess of the same identify.
The non secular committee also accused Nike of supporting Israel and called for a boycott of firms that back the nation.
It referred to a assertion issued by its Council for Research and Sharia Studies on 5 November 2023, urging Muslims to boycott Western firms it considers supportive of Israel during the battle in Gaza.
The ruling, recognized as a fatwa, is a non secular opinion on a matter of Islamic law. It was authorised by Libya’s Grand Mufti, Sadiq al-Gharyani.
The BBC has contacted Nike for remark.
The Dar al-Ifta is an influential non secular establishment primarily based in Tripoli, in western Libya. The nation is politically divided, with rival authorities and establishments working in the east and west after years of battle following the toppling of long-time chief Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
Although its non secular rulings can carry appreciable social affect, they are not essentially authorities orders or legally enforceable.
Last 12 months it ruled against sporting jewelry and watches bearing the emblem of French luxurious jewelry home Van Cleef & Arpels, arguing that its four-leaf clover design was related with Christian beliefs and the pursuit of good luck, which it said contradicted Islamic teachings.
The newest fatwa does not announce a state ban on Nike merchandise or specify penalties for people who proceed to buy or put on them.
Social media reactions were blended, with some customers welcoming the ruling, while others questioned its significance, describing it as ironic or a distraction from more urgent points.
The ruling comes amid wider debates over the rise of non secular conservatism in public life in Libya.
In 2025, authorities in japanese Libya announced restrictions on rap music, theatre and dance performances, citing issues that some lyrics and performances violated public morals and Islamic values.
The measures were subsequently prolonged to western Libya.
The Dar al-Ifta has also beforehand issued non secular rulings against music, although there is no clear evidence that it was immediately concerned in the restrictions on performances.
Nike does not operate an official store in Libya, however Nike-branded merchandise are out there through native sportswear retailers.
Sportswear manufacturers such as Nike and Adidas are widespread across North Africa.
In Libya, as in other international locations in the area, counterfeit variations of widespread sportswear manufacturers are also bought in native markets.
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