ISLAMIC ASSESSMENT ON THE ROLES OF WOMEN DURING SECURITY CHALLENGES IN NIGERIA

Abstract

The issue of insecurity has remained the most challenging problem in the world including Nigeria. In Nigeria, reports of kidnapping, armed robbery, assassination and killing/bombing which lead to loss of lives and destruction of properties kept on featuring in the media. In addition, women are the most vulnerable of this insurgency. They have been killed, widowed, raped or/and kidnapped. It is however, on this note that, given the broader perspective of national security, this study assesses the roles of government security agencies, nongovernmental organizations, Muslims (both men and women), Islamic Scholars, youths etc. in the act of maintaining peace and curtailing insecurity in Nigeria. This study uses the librarian research in which both primary and secondary sources were utilized for the work. These comprise of Qur‘an, Hadith and other literatures Therefore, the study suggests that everybody has a role to play in enhancing national security. Islam, being a comprehensive system of life, provides preventive measures to curb insecurity in human society. This paper examines the responsibility of the Muslim women in curbing insecurity in Nigeria. The paper observes that the causes of insecurity in Nigeria include; corruption, erosion of virtues and moralities values, youth unemployment, ignorance misuse of Islamic knowledge, globalization etc.. The result of research found that Muslim women by their pedigree and character have the potential to ensure security in the society through good child upbringing, God consciousness, acquiring true Islamic knowledge (to mention a few). It concludes that if these measures are implemented, they will go a long way in arresting this quagmire of insecurity in our society.