Libya’s leading Islamic religious authority has called on Muslims to stop buying, selling and wearing Nike products, arguing that the company’s name and logo promote ancient Greek polytheism and conflict with Islamic teachings.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
TRIPOLI, Libya — Libya’s top Islamic religious authority has issued a fatwa against American sportswear manufacturer Nike, declaring that Muslims should not purchase, sell or wear products displaying the company’s name or logo because of their association with the ancient Greek goddess of victory.
The ruling, issued by the Tripoli-based Dar al-Ifta and approved by Grand Mufti Sadiq al-Gharyani, was publicized Nov. 1 and drew international attention this week. Religious officials argued that Nike’s branding incorporates symbols associated with polytheism, which conflicts with Islam’s prohibition against worshipping multiple gods.
According to the New York Post, the religious authority specifically objected to both the company’s name and its distinctive swoosh trademark, which it associated with the wings of the Greek goddess Nike.
In ancient Greek mythology, Nike personified victory and was frequently depicted as a winged goddess associated with athletic competition, military triumph and divine success.
The American footwear company adopted the name Nike in 1971 after initially operating as Blue Ribbon Sports. Its internationally recognized swoosh logo was designed to represent motion and speed and has also been associated with the mythological goddess’s wings.
Libyan religious authorities contend that displaying the name and symbol constitutes an endorsement of imagery connected to pre-Islamic religious practices.
The fatwa calls on Muslims to avoid participating in the purchase, sale or use of merchandise bearing the branding.
However, the ruling is a religious opinion rather than a government-enacted prohibition. It does not automatically establish criminal penalties for Libyans who continue buying or wearing Nike products.
As Benin Web TV reported Nov. 3, Libya remains divided between competing political authorities, and pronouncements by the Tripoli-based Dar al-Ifta do not necessarily carry the force of national law.
The religious institution nevertheless maintains influence among Muslims who look to its scholars for guidance on religious observance and permissible commercial activities.
The latest ruling also cites allegations concerning Nike’s relationship with Israel.
According to reports about the fatwa, the authority referenced a November 2023 position adopted by its Council for Research and Sharia Studies calling for a boycott of companies considered supportive of Israel.
The council included Nike in its criticism, although the allegations about the company’s support for Israel were presented as the religious body’s position rather than independently established findings.
The dispute adds a political dimension to the religious objections, connecting the company’s branding to broader tensions involving Israel and the Middle East.
Nike has no official retail stores in Libya, although its footwear and apparel remain available through independent local retailers.
The company’s products are widely distributed internationally, making the religious guidance relevant to consumers and merchants beyond Libya.
According to Greek City Times, the ruling was approved by al-Gharyani after scholars concluded that the brand’s association with a mythological deity was incompatible with Islamic principles.
The decision reflects an interpretation of Islamic religious law that treats certain symbols associated with other forms of worship as inappropriate for Muslims to display.
However, Islamic scholars have previously reached different conclusions about whether wearing Nike products violates religious teachings.
A September 2026 ruling from Darul Ifta Birmingham advised Muslims to avoid Nike products because of their historical association with Greek religious iconography.
The British religious institution nevertheless acknowledged that Nike clothing and footwear are not inherently prohibited goods and that most consumers do not associate the brand with religious worship.
Its ruling distinguished between intentionally displaying religious symbolism and wearing a commercial trademark that originated from a mythological reference.
Other Islamic authorities have taken less restrictive positions.
In a 2021 ruling issued by Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah in Zambia, scholars concluded that Nike’s name and swoosh had largely lost their religious associations in everyday commercial use.
They determined that ordinary Nike apparel could be worn, while advising against products explicitly depicting or promoting ancient deities.
Similarly, the Assembly of Muslim Jurists of America previously ruled that Nike merchandise was permissible because consumers generally recognize the name as a commercial trademark rather than an expression of devotion to a Greek goddess.
Those differing interpretations illustrate that the Libyan ruling does not represent a universally accepted position among Islamic religious scholars.
The controversy also follows an earlier intervention by Libya’s religious authorities involving another international luxury brand.
In 2025, the same institution issued religious guidance concerning French jewelry manufacturer Van Cleef & Arpels, objecting to its four-leaf clover designs because of associations with luck and beliefs the authority considered inconsistent with Islamic teachings.
That ruling reflected similar concerns about commercial symbols interpreted as carrying religious or superstitious meanings.
Libyan religious authorities have also sought restrictions on certain forms of entertainment and cultural expression, including rap music, theatrical performances and dancing, as part of efforts to enforce conservative religious standards.
The Nike controversy has attracted attention because the company is among the world’s largest sportswear manufacturers, and its branding is widely recognized across national and religious boundaries.
The religious ruling does not require Nike to change its name, redesign its trademark or withdraw from international markets.
As of Wednesday, Nov. 4, the company had not publicly responded to the Libyan religious authority’s decision.
The fatwa therefore remains an advisory religious prohibition directed at Muslims who recognize the authority of the issuing institution, rather than an enforceable nationwide ban on Nike products.
The dispute highlights competing interpretations of whether modern commercial symbols should be judged by their historical religious origins or by their contemporary meaning as internationally recognized trademarks.
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