Story of Heroic Muslim Woman of WWII Coming to Dearborn

Film Premiere of Enemy of the Reich: The Noor Inayat Khan Story to be screened

A screen grab from the film Enemy of the Reich, the actress representing Noor Khan.  The movie is narrated by the eminent actress Helen Mirren.

What:   Detroit area premiere 60-minute docudrama film that tells the story of a young Muslim woman living in Paris who became a spy and wireless operator as part of Winston Churchill’s Special Operations Executive (SOE).

Noor was the daughter of a Muslim musician and Sufi teacher from India, Inayat Khan, who resided in Paris. After the Nazi invasion in June 1940, she fled to England, where she trained as a wireless operator with the SOE. Throughout the war, this organization secretly undermined the Axis powers through espionage and covert disruption. In early 1943, Noor was dropped into France behind enemy From Paris, she transmitted messages back to Britain and for a period was the only link between the U.K. and the French Resistance. Pursued by the Gestapo, she was finally betrayed by French collaborators. The Nazis arrested and imprisoned her in Paris, where she refused to name names, and twice attempted to escape. Too unruly for the Parisian authorities, she was shipped to a German prison and then to the infamous Dachau concentration camp. There she remained uncooperative and was finally killed in the last months of the war.

When:     Saturday, March 29th, 2014 at 3:00pm

Where:   Ford Community and Performing Arts Center, 15801 Michigan Ave., Dearborn, Michigan 48126

Who:   Michigan Muslim Community Council (MMCC) presents a film from Unity Productions Foundation. Local partners include: Indus Community Action Network (iCan), Interfaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit (IFLC). Pakistani American Association (PAA), Razjan Entertainment.

Why:   “Despite the fact that many Muslims played brave roles and sacrificed during

World War II, the prevailing narrative of that conflict usually doesn’t include any mention,” says Alex Kronemer. Kronemer is co-founder with Michael Wolfe of Unity Productions Foundation, which has produced the award-winning documentaries Prince Among Slaves and Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet (s), that have both been aired nationally on PBS.

“More Americans need to know the story of Noor Inayat Khan, who fought against one of the most heinous enemies of humanity of the last 100 years,” says local Muslim activist Razi Jafri.

Visit www.EnemyoftheReich.com for more information

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