Pirzadi Shaheeda Noor-Un-Nisa Inayat Khan: Why Do We Need To Tell Her Story Today?

By Ghulam Rasool Dehlvi, New Age Islam 10 March 2023 Influenced By The Sufi Teachings, Peaceful And Pluralistic Thought And Ideas Of Her Father, Noor Was Deeply Pained By Nazi Atrocities Against Humanity. Main Points: 1. Noor Inayat Khan—an Indian-origin Sufi Princess and a World War II Spy—was the first Indian-origin woman to be honoured with the memorial plaque in London. 2. A daughter of an Indian Sufi mystic and an American mother, Noor was a writer, poetess, musician and ultimately a heroine for many Indian women today. 3. Born in Moscow, brought up in France and even as an officer in the British Army, the love and devotion to India were deeply ingrained in her heart from childhood. ------- Noor-un-Nisa Inayat Khan (1914-1944) ------ Who was Noor Inayat Khan? Noor Inayat Khan was an Indian-origin Sufi Princess and a World War II Spy who became the first Indian-origin woman to be honoured with the memorial plaque, which is given to famous and notable figures of history in London. The plaque has been awarded to her for her service in the “Special Operations Executive” during world war-II. She was also the first female radio operator to be sent into Nazi-occupied France, and is also remembered as India’s first Muslim heroine in World War II. Noor was born on January 1st, 1914 in Moscow to an Indian mystic, Hazrat Inayat Khan—Tipu Sultant’s descendant, and a Sufi practitioner, Vedantic philosopher, and Hindustani Classical musician, and Ora Ray Baker, an American woman. Daughter of An Indian Mystic Noor’s father, Hazrat Inayat Khan, was the first Indian Sufi saint, scholar and musician to bring Indian Sufism to the West. He had a deep attachment to all the spiritual and cultural traditions of India. Like his father, Noor was also fond of promoting music and mysticism in the West. She loved to play the Veena and also wrote Sufi stories for children and a book on the "Jataka Tales" of Gautama Buddha, which she titled “The 20 Jataka Tales”. A daughter of an Indian Sufi mystic and an American mother, Noor was a budding writer, a poetess, a musician and ultimately a heroine. She served as a secret British agent with the intent to help India achieve its freedom. In Europe, she fought against the Nazi fascism with a determination to come back to India to fight for the Indian Independence. A ‘Universalist Sufi Woman’ Noor hailed from a Chishti Sufi lineage and a spiritual Indian family. Her father, as a proponent of the ‘Universalist Sufi Order’—Inayatiyya Chishtiyya, was a great believer in the centrality of India in World Mysticism. Noor’s deep spirituality and her vision of unity and integrity continue to inspire the new generation. Her astonishing story reveals courage, strength, and compassion, and serves as a source of inspiration for anyone standing for the nation and working for freedom and justice today. Influenced by the teachings of Shanti Vadi Vichardhara, peaceful and pluralistic Sufi thought and ideas of her father, right from her childhood, Noor was deeply pained by Nazi atrocities against humanity. When France was invaded by the German Nazis, an ideological ferment arose in Noor's mind against the Nazis. And thus, Noor-un-Nisa Inayat Khan along with her brother Wilayat Inayat Khan decided to join the British Army in crushing the tyranny of the Nazis. Noor longed for India's independence as she told her officers at the Royal Air Force (RAF). She felt strongly to fight for India’s freedom after the war she fought against the Nazis. Having supported Britain and France, she averred that after the war, she would return to backing Indian Independence. Her fight was against the occupation of France and against fascism with the belief that if Indians helped them to win the war, it would make Britain grant Indians their independence. Notably, Noor had expressed her determination to his brother Wilayat in these words: “Today if we support Britain against fascism, then in return the British will be compelled to give freedom to India”. In Britain with Her Family Noor came to Britain with her family after France fell to Nazi Germany in November 1940. She was enlisted in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force as Noor Inayat Khan on 19 November 1940 and towards the end of 1941 Noor applied for a commission in Intelligence. Hazrat Inayat Khan was brought up in Baroda, Gujarat but his family moved to Paris during World War-I and then to London. Noor was born in Russia during her father’s stay in the country to perform Hindustani musical concerts. An Aircraft Officer and ‘Brilliant Radio Operator’ On November 19, 1940, Noor-un-Nisa joined the British Air Force as an aircraft officer against the German Nazis, where she was sent to train as a "wireless operator". In June 1941, she applied for the "Armed Forces Officer", where she was promoted to the rank of Assistant Section Officer. But she said clearly during his interview that, as of now, I am fighting this war against Nazi oppression and fascism, but as soon as this war ends, I would like to join the war for the freedom of my beloved father’s nation, India. Perhaps it was for this reason that Noor made one last visit to India after his father's death, traveling to his hometown of Baroda in Gujarat. Noor was fluent in French and a brilliant radio operator. She went in undercover behind enemy lines and worked there for three months setting up connections and sending information back to London. In France, Noor posed as a nurse and acquired the pseudo name ‘Jeanne-Marie Reinier’. Within 10 days of her arrival, all British spies in Noor’s network had been arrested and she was asked to return, but she refused. Radio transmission became the only link between the agents around Paris and London. A Talented Musician & Poetess Noor was also a talented musician. She also wrote poems and short stories. After finishing her school, Noor translated into English the “Jataka Tales”—fables about the previous incarnation of Gautama Buddha and another literature native to India. Her book Twenty Jataka Tales was published in 1939. Captured by the Nazis In October 1943, when she was about to return home, she was captured by the Gestapo-Nazis, and was sent to a German Prison in solitary confinement. A year later, she was sent to the Dachau concentration camp and was executed on 13 September 1944 at the age of 30. Lessons That Women Can Draw From Her Life! Noor Inayat Khan exhibits some great virtues that may be inculcated among the young generation in India. When young women of India will know about her life, they will feel proud and empowered and will idealize her noble traits. Noor can be aptly portrayed as a role model for young women, especially for Muslim women in India. Her story connects the Indian youth—especially Muslim girls and children—to the virtuous, noble, and nationalist woman characters hidden in the annals of Indian history. Thus, they will identify with a modern woman role model well-embedded and anchored in Indian ethos, and thus stemming the tide of negative influencers. Why Tell Her Story Today? There is a real need to tell the story of Noor-un-Nisa as one of the unforgettable Indian legends, role models, and heroes for young women. Few people in our country know about the great contribution of Indians in the two World Wars. Our ancestors, too, fought in the war, against fascism in World War II. Thus, there should be a shift from the usual narrative that the wars were fought and won by Britain only. Instead, we should tell the story of how five million soldiers from the Colonies helped Britain and the Allies to win World War II, out of which 2.5 million were from Mother India. Today, therefore, we need to tell you the story of the ‘Sufi daughter' of India whose father, an Indian Sufi mystic, is called the "First Sufi Mystic of India in the West". He enjoys a large number of followers from Europe to America. Though Noor is known in different parts of the world by different names; some people call her "Nora Baker", some "Madeleine", and others remember her as ‘Jeanne-Marie Renier’. But in reality, she is Pirzadi Shaheeda Noor-un-Nisa Inayat Khan. Thus, she remains in our memory as veteran Muslim woman of Indian origin, who only in 30 years, became to be known as the ‘Sufi Princess’ across the world. Noor-Nisa's sacrifice can be estimated from the fact that this young woman martyr sacrificed her blood for the sake of humanity. Hitler's army, the German Gestapo, gave her an agonizing death in the Conception Camp. But her spirit of independence didn’t die down. Now Noor’s sacrifice lives on forever. The last word Noor uttered before dying was a revolutionary slogan in French: Liberté (freedom!). Noor was born in Moscow, grew up in France, and served as an officer in the British Army, but the love and devotion to India were deeply ingrained in her heart from childhood and with the same light, her soul travelled from this mortal world to immortality. Noor often repeated her father's words: "We are descendants of Tipu Sultan; we are known not by houses but by ideals". Salutations to this spirit of truth, and hats off to this pure spirit of freedom which is still beating in millions of Indian hearts in every nook and corner of the world! ----- Regular Columnist with Newageislam.com, Ghulam Rasool Dehlvi is an Indo-Islamic scholar and English-Arabic-Urdu writer. He graduated from a leading Islamic seminary in India, and acquired a Diploma in Qur'anic sciences and a Certificate in Uloom ul Hadith from the Al-Azhar Institute of Islamic Studies. He has also participated in the 3-year “Madrasa Discourses” program initiated by the University of Notre Dame, USA. Presently, he is pursuing his Ph.D. in Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-personalities/pirzadi-shaheeda-noor-inayat-/d/129288 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism