Libyan religious body bans Muslims from buying or wearing Nike-logo clothing

Libya's Dar al-Ifta, the body in Tripoli that issues Islamic legal rulings, has banned Muslims from buying, selling or wearing clothing bearing the Nike logo. The decision is a fatwa, a religious ruling rather than a law, and it was approved by Grand Mufti Sadiq al-Gharyani.

According to the ruling, wearing clothing that displays the Nike logo amounts to promoting symbols associated with polytheism, the belief in more than one god. The ruling states that Nike was named after Nike, the Greek goddess of victory, and that its swoosh logo was inspired by her wings.

The ruling also accuses Nike of supporting Israel and calls for a boycott of companies that back Israel. It refers to a statement issued on 5 November 2023 by the Dar al-Ifta's Council for Research and Sharia Studies, which urged Muslims to boycott Western companies considered supportive of Israel during the war in Gaza. Sharia is the body of Islamic law.

The fatwa does not announce a state ban on Nike products, and it does not specify penalties for people who continue to buy or wear them. Nike does not operate an official store in Libya, but its products are available through local sportswear retailers.