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 brand.
The ruling, issued by the Tripoli-based establishment, states that the US sportswear large was named after the Greek goddess of victory and that its well-known swoosh brand was impressed by her wings.
It argued that sporting clothes displaying the emblem amounted to selling symbols related “with polytheism,” or the worship of a couple of god.
Libya is house to the traditional Greek metropolis of Cyrene, the place archaeological stays embody a statue of the Greek goddess of the identical title.
The non secular committee additionally accused Nike of supporting Israel and referred to as for a boycott of firms that again the nation.
It referred to a press release issued by its Council for Analysis and Sharia Research on 5 November 2023, urging Muslims to boycott Western firms it considers supportive of Israel through the battle in Gaza.
The ruling, generally known as a fatwa, is a spiritual opinion on a matter of Islamic regulation. 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 within the east and west after years of battle following the toppling of long-time chief Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
Though its non secular rulings can carry appreciable social affect, they don’t seem to be essentially authorities orders or legally enforceable.
Final yr it dominated towards sporting jewelry and watches bearing the emblem of French luxurious jewelry home Van Cleef & Arpels, arguing that its four-leaf clover design was related to Christian beliefs and the pursuit of fine luck, which it mentioned contradicted Islamic teachings.
The most recent fatwa doesn’t announce a state ban on Nike merchandise or specify penalties for individuals who proceed to purchase or put on them.
Social media reactions had been combined, with some customers welcoming the ruling, whereas others questioned its significance, describing it as ironic or a distraction from extra urgent points.
The ruling comes amid wider debates over the rise of spiritual conservatism in public life in Libya.
In 2025, authorities in japanese Libya introduced restrictions on rap music, theatre and dance performances, citing issues that some lyrics and performances violated public morals and Islamic values.
The measures had been subsequently prolonged to western Libya.
The Dar al-Ifta has additionally beforehand issued non secular rulings towards music, though there is no such thing as a clear proof that it was immediately concerned within the restrictions on performances.
Nike doesn’t function an official retailer in Libya, nevertheless Nike-branded merchandise can be found by means of native sportswear retailers.
Sportswear manufacturers equivalent to Nike and Adidas are in style throughout North Africa.
In Libya, as in different international locations within the area, counterfeit variations of in style sportswear manufacturers are additionally offered in native markets.
