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Libya's top Islamic authority issues a fatwa banning Muslims from wearing Nike, claiming its swoosh honours a Greek goddess and promotes 'polytheism'

Libya's Dar al-Ifta, headed by Grand Mufti Sadiq al-Gharyani, issued the ruling as fatwa number 6697 — a religious opinion that carries no legal penalties for Libyans who continue to wear the brand.
Libya's Dar al-Ifta, headed by Grand Mufti Sadiq al-Gharyani, issued the ruling as fatwa number 6697 — a religious opinion that carries no legal penalties for Libyans who continue to wear the brand.
Grand Mufti Sadiq al-Gharyani, whose authority's ruling followed a previous fatwa against French luxury brand Van Cleef & Arpels over its four-leaf clover design.
Grand Mufti Sadiq al-Gharyani, whose authority's ruling followed a previous fatwa against French luxury brand Van Cleef & Arpels over its four-leaf clover design.

Libya's Dar al-Ifta, headed by Grand Mufti Sadiq al-Gharyani, approved fatwa number 6697, ruling that wearing Nike products promotes polytheism because the brand is named after the Greek goddess of victory and its swoosh logo is modelled on her wings. The authority also accused Nike of backing Israel, citing a 2023 call to boycott companies seen as supportive of the country during the Gaza war.

The fatwa is a religious opinion, not a government order — no legal penalties exist for Libyans who continue to buy or wear Nike.

Nike does not operate stores in Libya, though branded items are sold through local sportswear retailers and counterfeit products are widely available in markets.

The ruling follows a previous fatwa against French luxury brand Van Cleef & Arpels, whose four-leaf clover design the authority claimed contradicted Islamic teachings.

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