Enemy of the Reich: The Noor Inayat Khan Story

During World War II, Noor Inayat Khan was one of the Allies' most unlikely agents. Pretty and sensitive, Khan was born to a Muslim father from India and an American mother. Raised in France during her early years, she absorbed her father's Sufi message of divine unity, service, and sacrifice. When her father died, Noor (which means "light among women") was left devastated, trying to make sense of her new world—one that was rapidly sliding into war. Filmmaker Robert H. Gardner's PBS-aired documentary explores the noble life and untimely death of Khan, who found her purpose in fighting the fascist threat in Europe. Khan got a job in Britain's Special Operations Executive (SOE), sending and receiving coded messages to underground fighters in occupied Europe. As defined by Winston Churchill, SOE's mission was to "set Europe ablaze," sowing confusion and resistance to the Nazi terror. Sent to occupied Paris, Khan assumed a new identity—moving frequently from one location to another while trying to stay one step ahead of the Nazis, who had mobile trackers and scanners prowling the street searching for the source of SOE messages. Khan used her image as an attractive and innocent young woman to deflect suspicion, but when double agents betrayed SOE activities, things grew dangerous, and Khan was urged to return to London. Instead, she continued her work, refusing all offers of safety, but in 1943 was arrested. Refusing to reveal information, Khan was kept bound and shackled and was tortured at regular intervals, eventually disappearing into the "night and fog" of the concentration camps, and ultimately executed in 1944 at Dachau. Combining interviews, archival materials, and dramatic re-creations, this inspiring biographical portrait is recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (S. Rees)