[1] Al Nahla was launched by Louis Sabunji as a weekly publication in Beirut in 1870 when he was working as a Catholic priest in the city.
[6] Due to these conflicts and its anti-Hamidian content, Al Nahla was subject to bans by the Ottoman governor of Syria.
[4] In 1876 Sabunji had to leave Beirut as a result of his increased anti-Ottoman views published in Al Nahla and settled in London.
[3] Next year he began to publish Al Nahla in London as a bilingual publication covering Arabic and English content.
"[7] However, in London Al Nahla had another goal: to support those who were planning to open the East Africa markets for European trade.