Libya's top religious authority rules against wearing Nike clothes

What the report says

Libya’s highest religious authority, the Dar al-Ifta, has issued a religious ruling against Muslims buying, selling or wearing clothing that carries the Nike logo, according to Nile Post. The Tripoli-based institution said the brand name and swoosh symbol are linked to Greek mythology and argued that displaying them could amount to promoting symbols associated with polytheism.

The fatwa was approved by Libya’s Grand Mufti, Sadiq al-Gharyani, the report said. The committee also accused Nike of supporting Israel and urged a boycott of companies it views as backing the country, tying the ruling to its earlier guidance from November 2023 on boycotting Western brands during the Gaza war.

Nile Post noted that the ruling is not a government order and does not set out penalties. It comes in a country where religious rulings can carry social influence but where Libya remains politically divided between rival authorities in the east and west. The article added that Nike has no official store in Libya, though branded products are available through local retailers and counterfeit versions are also common in local markets.

The report placed the decision within a wider debate over growing religious conservatism in public life in Libya. It also said the Dar al-Ifta has issued similar rulings before, including one last year targeting Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry over its clover motif.