Star of the West: 6 Facts we think you should know about this iconic magazine
1. Star of the West has History
Star of the West is an English Baha’i Magazine. It was originally called Baha’i News, but changed the name a year later in 1911 to ‘Star of the West’. It ran from 1910 until March 1935 where it merged with World Unity Magazine to create World Order Magazine.
2. Encouraged by 'Abdu'l-Baha
‘Abdu’l-Bahá encouraged the magazine and said ‘thy volume will increase, thy arena will become vast and spacious, and thy voice and fame will be raised and become world-wide…’ He also wrote a letter to the magazine’s creators and editors.
O ye Editors of the Star of the West! Your letter was received and your effort became known. I hope that, day by day, you may add to your effort and give importance to this newspaper, for it shall progress step by step and shall attain to the praiseworthy station. Whenever, in the future, detailed Tablets are written, copies will be sent to you for publication. Upon ye be Baha-el-ABHA! (Signed) ‘Abdu’l-Bahá”
3. Before Google
Star of the West was one of the few ways, in its time, to have access to English translations of many Tablets and Prayers. It would also try and cover as much about Baha’i News as possible.
4. It was famous
Star of the West is also one of the first news publications to get widespread distribution in the Baha’i community. The magazine very quickly became famous among the Baha'i community. In the first issue as ‘Star of the West’, the editors explained that the name came from a phrase ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had used.
5. Star of the West was news
Star of the west came into the world where many editors were writing stories only to appeal to readers, not to tell everyone what was going on in the world. So, of course, Star of the West was unique in that sense, and was one of the-surprisingly few-honest magazines.
6. Beginning of a new wave
Many Baha’i Magazines and publications began shortly after Star of the West began. A few examples are :
Khurshid-i-Khavar for Ishqabad, Turkistan,
Baha’i News from India,
Sonneder Wahrheit and Wirlichkeit from Germany,
Akhbar-i-Amri from Iran,
The Dawn from Burma, and
Herald of the South from Australia and New Zealand.
We hope that by reading these facts we have helped you to better understand Star of the West, when it started and its influence and need in the Baha’i community.
