"Never Wear Nike": What Did It Do Wrong? Buying and Selling Banned, This Country in an Uproar

Libyan religious authority issues Nike ban
"Name and logo are derived from Greek goddess Nike"
"A symbol of polytheism... conflicts with Islam's doctrine of monotheism"

Global sports brand Nike has become embroiled in an unexpected “ban” in North African country Libya. The country’s highest Islamic religious authority issued a religious ruling prohibiting the purchase, sale and wearing of Nike products, arguing that the brand name and logo symbolize a goddess from ancient Greek mythology and violate the doctrine of monotheism. The decision, however, is not an official government ban and does not entail legal sanctions.

Nike logo. Reuters-Yonhap News.

According to the BBC on November 4, Dar al-Ifta, an Islamic law interpretation body headquartered in Libya’s capital, Tripoli, recently issued Fatwa No. 6697 concerning Nike products. A fatwa is a religious ruling or judgment based on Islamic law.

In its ruling, Dar al-Ifta said that buying, selling and wearing clothing bearing the Nike logo should be prohibited. The decision was reportedly approved by Sadiq al-Ghariani, Libya’s most senior Islamic legal scholar.

"Nike's brand name and logo symbolize the Greek goddess Nike... and violate Islamic doctrine"

The issue concerns the brand's name and symbol. The name Nike comes from Nike, the goddess of victory in Greek mythology. In English, the name is pronounced “Nike.” Dar al-Ifta said that the brand’s signature curved logo, the “Swoosh,” was also inspired by Nike’s wings.

The authority argued that wearing clothing bearing the logo is equivalent to displaying and spreading a symbol associated with polytheism. Its reasoning is that the everyday use of symbols associated with polytheism, the worship of more than one god, contradicts Islamic doctrine, which emphasizes belief in one God.

Dar al-Ifta raised political concerns as well as religious ones. Claiming that Nike is one of the Western companies that support Israel, the authority called for a strong boycott. In November 2023, when the war in Gaza broke out, it also officially stated that products from Western companies helping Israel should be boycotted.

Targeting Western brands after Van Cleef & Arpels

This is not the first time Dar al-Ifta has objected to the symbols of a well-known foreign brand. Last year, the authority issued a religious ruling that jewelry and watches featuring the French luxury jewelry brand Van Cleef & Arpels' four-leaf clover motif should not be worn.

Van Cleef & Arpels necklace. Van Cleef & Arpels

At the time, it cited the design’s association with the Christian faith as a reason it violated Islamic teachings. It also took issue with the connection between four-leaf clovers and beliefs in good luck.

No legal penalties... Mixed reactions locally

This fatwa does not constitute an official ban imposed by the Libyan government. As a religious ruling, it is not legally binding, and those who do not follow it will not be punished. However, given the considerable influence religious rulings can have in local society, the impact on consumers and the retail industry is drawing attention.

Local reactions were mixed. Some supported the religious authority's decision, while others questioned its effectiveness or criticized it, saying attention should instead be focused on pressing political and economic issues.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.