索馬里人共同的生活方式、語言、文化信仰,殖民瓜分對索馬里人的沖擊,反殖民主義斗爭對內部認同的強化共同孕育了泛索馬里主義。1948—1960年,泛索馬里主義主要以反歐洲殖民主義為旗號,訴求是初步建立一個局部統一的索馬里人獨立國家。1960—1969年,它又以反"鄰國殖民主義"為旗號,試圖同時達成內部整合與外部擴張的雙重目標。1969—1978年,泛索馬里主義被嫁接到"科學社會主義"之中。1978—1991年,泛索馬里主義回歸到氏族主義層面,重新建構自身的理念與實踐基礎。1991—2012年,泛索馬里主義借助伊斯蘭主義的力量,試圖以共同的宗教調和各氏族間的差異,通過常規武裝斗爭消除索馬里人的內在分裂。2012年以來,泛索馬里主義與恐怖主義相關聯,試圖以非常規恐怖襲擊為手段達成所謂"大索馬里伊斯蘭國"的目標。對象都經歷了復雜的歷史嬗變。泛索馬里主義既有民族主義的表征,又展現出反民族主義的跨地區文化主義特性,甚至與恐怖主義也產生了聯系。不過,泛索馬里主義與恐怖主義只是一種相互借勢、各取所需的關系,前者有其文化合理性因素。

Pan-Somalism was bred by the common lifestyle,language,and cultural belief of the Somalis. It was also bred by the impact of colonization and the reinforcement of a common internal identity during the period of anti-colonial struggles. From 1948 to 1960,in the midst of anti-European colonialism movements and party-politics,the final goal of Pan-Somalism is established to achieve a unified and independent Somalia. From 1960 to 1969,in the name of anti-neighboring colonialism supported by the government,Pan-Somalism strived to reach the dual goals of internal integration and external expansion. From 1969 to 1978,due to the combination of Pan-Somalism and "scientific socialism,"the Siad Barre Regime accordingly sought to build a greater Somalia by introducing the power of the USSR. From 1978 to 1991,Pan-Somalism came back to Clanism,seeking to reconstruct its own ideas and practices as well as fighting against the Siad Barre Regime. From 1991 to 2012,Pan-Somalism,by supporting Islamism,attempted to meditate the differences between each clan with the same religion and to eliminate the internal division of Somalis by armed confrontations. Since 2012,Pan-Somalism has been associated with terrorism in order to achieve the goal of establishing an Islamic State based on Sharia law in the Greater Somalia through terrorist attacks. Pan-Somalism shows the feature of nationalism, yet at the same time it also shows the feature of trans-regional culturalism,which goes against nationalism. It even associated itself with terrorism. However,Pan-Somalism and terrorism are only making use of each other because the former has its own cultural rationality.