Libya’s Dar al-Ifta Religious Authority Rules Against Nike Clothing

What changed

Libya’s Tripoli-based Dar al-Ifta has issued a fatwa against buying, selling or wearing Nike-branded clothing. Approved by Grand Mufti Sadiq al-Gharyani and published on 3 November 2026, it links Nike’s name and swoosh to Greek polytheism and also accuses the company of supporting Israel.

Why it matters

This is a religious ruling, not a state ban. It sets no penalties, and Nike products remain available through Libyan sportswear retailers, alongside counterfeit goods.

Its practical effect will depend on whether the ruling changes shopping habits or pressures retailers. That is not clear yet. But the decision gives religious conservatism another visible place in everyday public life, turning a familiar sports logo into a test of religious and political allegiance.

The ruling follows Dar al-Ifta’s 2025 objection to Van Cleef & Arpels designs. In a country split between rival eastern and western authorities, such rulings may carry social weight even when they cannot be enforced as law.