Notes on Noor Inayat Khan

Posted: 9/27/2014

Trigger

Just watched her story on PBS titled “Enemy of the Reich: The Noor Inayat Khan Story”. It is a very recommendable and fascinating biographical docudrama and a great story. Why the heck the PBS is expiring this great movie, which first aired on 9/9/2014 and expires on 9/30/2014. So it will be shown only for three weeks on PBS?

Here is the BBC biography of her.

Here is the probably official movie website (You can watch her story here). Now, I realize the movie continues to be shown on the official movie website, but ignorant PBS does not mention it!!! Grrr!

Unity Productions Foundation

This foundation (UPF) is produced this docudrama. It appears, it has produced a number of films before.

Notes

Many things could be said about this beautiful young woman of Sufi faith and Indian-American parents who risked her life to fight the Nazis. Perhaps, her religious faith and her father’s explain a lot about her. Born in Moscow, raised in France. Posthumously, she was highly decorated by the UK and France.

To be a radio operator behind enemy lines was reported to be a suicide mission with an estimated survival rate of 6 weeks, but she was not caught in three months despite daily radio transmissions; despite the fact that she was the most wanted agent by the Germans, who were intensely looking for her even with a description of her; despite the many traitors among the French citizens.

She was not the only courageous woman sent by the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) service.

Other notes:

1. She was petite and brave when she tried twice to escape from German captivity. Presumably, she was fighting with her German captors
2. “[S]he was kept in chains and in solitary confinement. Despite repeated torture, she refused to reveal any information.” She spent almost 12 months in German captivity before she was executed
3. “After the penetration and arrest of her entire network by the Gestapo, Noor became the only surviving radio operator in Paris during four crucial months of the war, coordinating the air-drop of weapons, supplies and agents, and supporting the rescue of downed allied fliers. ”
4. We are reminded in the movie that the infamous Dachau concentration camp (and others) were not only for Jews, but for all kinds of humans to suffer and die.