Prince Al Waleed spreads the message
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 Billionaire Saudi Prince Al Waleed bin Talal has launched a new Islamic satellite channel aimed at counteracting negative misconceptions of the faith. The launch comes amid a wave of Muslim furor over offensive depictions of the Prophet Mohammed in the Western media and a surge in radical Islam from Pakistan to Yemen.
Al Resalah, Arabic for “the message”, has been hailed by its founders as “the first moderate religious satellite channel of its kind to target the Arab World.”
"We are offering the world an Islamic Arabic language channel to present true Islam," said Prince Al Waleed, the world’s eighth richest man according to Forbes magazine. Prince Al Waleed also owns Rotana, the music and entertainment bouquet, as well as shares in the Arab Radio and Television (ART) network and Lebanon’s LBC television.
"This channel represents pure and moderate Islam and our Arab heritage through a modern medium," General Manager, Tareq Alsuwaidan, told reporters at the channel’s launch on March 1.
The number of religious satellite channels broadcasting in the Arab World has risen in recent years. The Arab Advisors Group, a Jordan-based research company, said there are eight Islamic channels currently broadcasting via Arabsat and Nilesat. Their main programs are recitations of the Quran and discussions over the teachings of the Prophet Mohamed featuring clerics and religious academics.
According to its founders, Al Resalah will target young Arabs through a variety of programs, including drama series, music, talk shows, game shows and educational programs – all within “an Islamic context.”
Owned by Prince Al Waleed’s Kingdom Holdings company, Al Resalah will be the precursor to an English language channel also aimed at presenting a moderate image of Islam to the West.
Prince Al Waleed made headlines in December when he gave $20 million grants to both Harvard and Georgetown universities to fund their Islamic studies programs. Al Waleed also has shares in major American media giants such as Time Warner and News Corporation.
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