A fatwa has been issued against Nike by Libya’s top religious authority, the Dar al-Ifta, for promoting symbols associated with polytheism. The council stated that the US sportswear giant is named after the Greek goddess of victory and that its iconic swoosh logo represents her wings. Muslims in the country are now banned from buying, selling, or wearing any clothing that features the Nike logo.
The religious body also accused Nike of supporting Israel and called for a boycott of companies that back the country.
The fatwa issued by Dar al-Ifta was approved by the country’s highest Islamic jurist, Sadiq al-Ghariani, according to a report in the BBC .
A fatwa is a legal decree on a point of Islamic law or opinion given by a high-ranking Islamic religious leader, religious authority or qualified council of scholars. It can address a range of issues, including individuals and groups. Though these religious rulings carry considerable social influence, they are not necessarily government orders or legally enforceable.
