Somalia’s ongoing crises are intertwined with the rise of Salafism, a radical strain of Islam imported from the Gulf since the 1970s. Al-Shabaab is its most violent offshoot, but non-violent Salafist networks now permeate Somali society, politics, and culture. From widespread niqab and jilbab adoption to moral policing in Somaliland and Puntland, Salafists are reshaping the Somali way of life and suppressing progressive change. Salafist clerics oppose gender equality, Western education, and cultural expression, often forcing artists to renounce music. They strategically conceal their identity, avoiding labels like “Salafi” or “Wahhabi,” while embedding themselves in political and economic structures. Backed by wealthy business elites, movements like Al-I’tisam are gaining influence across Somalia and Somaliland. This form of Salafism differs from its Gulf counterpart many of its leaders were radicalized in Afghanistan or trained in Islamist universities abroad. They have merged political Islam with Salafi ideology, steering Somalia toward an Islamist state under the guise of state-building.