[2][3] The founding objective was to protect the Vatican Council (1869–1870) from the harsh criticisms exerted by the Protestant journals published in Beirut.
[2] In the early period the editor was Father Louis Cheikho who later founded and edited another Jesuit magazine, Al Machriq.
[6] The problem was solved the same year only through the intervention of the Ottomans who asked the editors through the Directorate of Foreign Affairs and Publications in Beirut to stop accusing each other if they did not want to be subject to the bans or penalty.
[2] A Belgian-born Jesuit and Orientalist Henri Lammens was one of the editors, and Philippe Cuche, an Arabic writer, was among the contributors and directors of the journal.
[10] For Al Bashir the SSNP was financed by Italy and Germany which were ruled by the Fascist parties and was attempting to create internal troubles in Lebanon and in Syria.