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Muslims told not to buy or wear Nike as Libya issues religious ruling
Libya’s Dar al-Ifta, the country’s senior Islamic religious body, has ruled that Muslims should not buy, sell or wear Nike products. The ruling matters because the institution has influence over public discussion and could encourage consumers and retailers to avoid the brand, although it is not a legal ban.
Fatwa No. 6697 was issued in Tripoli on 1 November with the endorsement of Grand Mufti Sadiq al-Gharyani. Dar al-Ifta objects to Nike’s name and swoosh, which it associates with the Greek goddess of victory, and also alleged the company supports Israel, without providing independently verified evidence. The decree carries no penalties under Libyan law; Nike has no company-owned shops in the country, but its products are sold by independent retailers.
In short
- Libya’s senior Islamic body has ruled against buying, selling or wearing Nike.
- The ruling cites Greek religious symbolism and an unverified claim about Israel.
- It is not a legal prohibition and carries no stated penalties.
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The case for
Supporters of the ruling may see avoiding Nike as a principled way for Muslims to distance themselves from symbols they regard as religiously objectionable and to respond to allegations about the company’s support for Israel. They may also argue that consumers and retailers should be free to act on the guidance of a religious authority, even when it has no force in law.
The case against
Critics may argue that the ruling treats a brand name and logo as religiously significant without establishing that wearing them amounts to endorsing another faith. They may also object to urging a boycott on the basis of an unverified allegation about Nike’s support for Israel, particularly when the advice could affect independent retailers and consumer choice.
Explained simply
Dar al-Ifta is Libya’s senior Islamic religious body, based in Tripoli. A fatwa is a religious ruling on how Muslims should act; it is not, by itself, a law or a government order.
The ruling was issued with the endorsement of Grand Mufti Sadiq al-Gharyani. It objects to Nike’s name and swoosh because the body links them to the Greek goddess of victory, and it alleges that Nike supports Israel, though it has not provided independently verified evidence for that claim.
The ruling carries no legal penalties, and Nike has no company-owned shops in Libya. Independent retailers do sell its products, so the religious body’s influence could affect what some customers and shops choose to buy or stock.