Mira'at al-Gharb Newspapers, مرآة الغرب‎ 1910-1961

Materials in this collection are in Arabic.

Mira’at al-Gharb, مرآة الغرب [Mirror of the West] was one of the longest-running Arabic newspapers in the United States, published from 1899 to 1961. It was founded by Najeeb Diab and owned by his family until its closure.

Najeeb Moussa Diab was born in Roumieh, Mount Lebanon on August 6, 1870. He immigrated to the United States in March 1893 at the age of 22. He was naturalized five years later in 1898. Almost immediately upon his arrival Diab began working with the Arbeely family, apprenticing on the first Arabic-language newspaper in the United States, Kawkab Amirka. 

In 1899, Diab left Kawkab Amirka to found his own newspaper, Mira’at al-Gharb. The early years of the newspaper have been lost, presumably due to a fire in the newspaper's offices. 

Diab was a founding member of America’s United Syrian Society, and in 1913, he attended the first Paris Arab-Syrian Conference as its delegate. Diab also supported Arabic literature in the United States through the newspaper's affiliated publishing house, Mira’at Press. The publishing house produced both nonfiction and fiction, including many works by the writers affiliated with the Pen League: Mikhail Naimy, Kahlil Gibran, and Elia Daher Madey [Elia abu Madey].

During the 1910s, Diab hired abu Madey to write for and then edit Mira’at al-Gharb. Abu Madey later married Najeeb Diab’s eldest daughter, Dorothy, in 1920. After working as editor-in-chief of Mira'at for over a decade, Madey left in 1929 to found his own newspaper, As-Sameer. After Diab passed away in 1936, his wife, Angelina Diab, managed the paper until her death in 1961. 

Mira'at al-Gharb Newspapers collection includes issues dating from September 1910 through November 1961.

Unlike many other contemporary periodicals, Mira’at al-Gharb was affiliated with the Orthodox faith rather than Marionite viewpoints. Through Mira'at, Diab took an oppositional stance against Al-Hoda and its Maronite-affiliated publisher, Naoum Mokarzel. The two men often exchanged editorials on their opposing views, including commentary on the future of their homeland. While Mokarzel was a Lebanese nationalist, Diab favored an undivided Syria.

In addition to international politics, Diab used Mira’at al-Gharb to advocate for Syrian immigrants in the United States. The paper participated in national debates over Arab-American citizenship that characterized the 1910s. As editor, Diab encouraged political participation from his reader, emphasizing the importance of voting.

This collection is arranged chronologically.

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[Identification of item], Mira'at al-Gharb Newspapers, مرآة الغرب‎, NS 0015, Hoda Z. Nassour and Herbert R. Nassour Jr., MD, Archive of Lebanese Diaspora

Kawkab Amirka Newspapers, كوكب أمريكا‎ 1892-1896, NS 0003

As-Sameer Newspapers, السمير‎ 1929-1957, NS 0009

Al-Hoda Newspapers, الهدى‎ 1898-1945, NS 0010

Al-Bayan Newspapers, البيان‎ 1911-1926 and 1938, NS 0017

Materials purchased by the Khayrallah Center, 2017 October (Accession No. 2017.021).

Processed by Claire A. Kempa and Khayrallah Center student workers, 2017-2018. Finding aid created by Laura Lethers, 2023 October.