Fox News Insinuates, but Investor Shrugs It Off

Some critics of the proposed Islamic community center in Lower Manhattan, including commentators on Fox News, have linked the project to terrorism by seizing on a Saudi prince's past financial backing of the imam at the center of the controversy. Prince Walid bin Talal of Saudi Arabia is also the second-largest shareholder of Fox News's parent, the News Corporation, with a stake worth more than $2 billion, which was not always disclosed on Fox News.

In fact, Prince Walid, in his first public comments about the matter, says he is actually opposed to the Islamic center's being built in downtown Manhattan. He has long been an investor in the News Corporation and a supporter of its leader, Rupert Murdoch. Several years ago, he increased his voting stake in the company in a show of support for Mr. Murdoch, who holds the largest stake but was at the time facing a challenge from John C. Malone, another media mogul. This year, the relationship was cemented in a new way: Mr. Murdoch invested about $70 million in Prince Walid's media company, Rotana.