Iran-e Bastan
Iranian political magazine (1933–1937)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Iran-e Bastan (Persian: ایران باستان, lit. 'Ancient Iran'), also known as Nameh-ye Iran Bastan (نامهٔ ایران باستان),[1] was a Persian-language weekly political and news magazine which was published in Tehran, Iran, in the period 1933–1937. The publication is known for its pro-Nazi and anti-imperialist political stance.
History and profile
Iran-e Bastan was first published on 21 January 1933 and edited by a Nazi sympathiser Persian journalist Abdulrahman Saif Azad[2] who was also the founder and license holder of the magazine.[3][4] The magazine was published in Tehran on a weekly basis.[3][5] It enjoyed significant financial support from Persians during its early years.[4] Germans also sponsored Iran-e Bastan.[6] There is a report arguing that the magazine was directly published by the Nazi Ministry of Propaganda and that the real editor was a member of the Nazi Party, Major von Vibran.[1]
Iran-e Bastan featured news and frequently published articles praising the ancient civilizations of Persia which were used to support an anti-imperialist perspective.[2][5] The magazine also covered news about the achievements of Nazi Germany in the fields of science and technology.[2] Due to its increasing pro-Nazi stance the magazine lost the financial support from Persians.[4] Iran-e Bastan folded in 1937 when Abdulrahman Saif Azad left Iran for Europe.[3] Following World War II he returned to Iran and restarted Iran-e Bastan in 1947, but he could not manage to continue its publication.[3]