--- title: CIA Chief Says Calling ISIS Islamic “Does Injustice” To Religion description: Brennan backed the White House’s effort to avoid using the word “Islamic” to describe terror groups like ISIS. canonical: https://time.com/3744801/cia-director-john-brennan-isis-muslims-islam/ author: Noah Rayman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-03-13T22:13:00.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T05:05:04.236Z article:section: Politics og:title: CIA Chief Says Calling ISIS Islamic “Does Injustice” To Religion og:description: Brennan backed the White House’s effort to avoid using the word “Islamic” to describe terror groups like ISIS. og:url: https://time.com/3744801/cia-director-john-brennan-isis-muslims-islam/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6bb855edc893cdf2/698783970b72e336346de2a6/cia-overhaul_raym-1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3500 og:image:height: 1969 og:image:alt: John Brennan og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: CIA Chief Says Calling ISIS Islamic “Does Injustice” To Religion twitter:description: Brennan backed the White House’s effort to avoid using the word “Islamic” to describe terror groups like ISIS. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6bb855edc893cdf2/698783970b72e336346de2a6/cia-overhaul_raym-1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # CIA Director Says ISIS Not Islamic, But 'Psychopathic' > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=f2ce2778-c70e-487e-b2e0-194427397308&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | Subscribers | Open rate | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | 540,000 | 45.6% | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | 430,000 | 50.7% | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Daily | 240,000 | 54.1% | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Tuesday and Saturday (2x per week) | 40,000 | 31.7% | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Monday to Saturday (3x per week) | 85,000 | 37.0% | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | 40,000 | 34.2% | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | 25,000 | 28.6% | Source: TIME, August 2026. Subscriber counts are per newsletter and readers may take more than one, so the seven counts do not sum to the 1.1 million+ unique newsletter audience. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Highest open rate | 54.1%, Health Matters | TIME, August 2026 | | Largest list | 540,000, The Brief | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=f2ce2778-c70e-487e-b2e0-194427397308&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=f2ce2778-c70e-487e-b2e0-194427397308&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (daily health), Worth Your Time (culture, twice weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, three times a week), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement.  by [Noah Rayman](https://time.com/author/noah-rayman/)  ## Noah Rayman Mar 13, 2015 10:13 PM UTC  CIA Director John Brennan addresses a meeting at the Council on Foreign Relations, in New York, Friday, March 13, 2015. CIA Director John Brennan addresses a meeting at the Council on Foreign Relations, in New York, Friday, March 13, 2015. Richard Drew—AP  by [Noah Rayman](https://time.com/author/noah-rayman/)  ## Noah Rayman Mar 13, 2015 10:13 PM UTC CIA Director John Brennan has defended the White House’s efforts to avoid using the word “Islamic” to describe extremist terror groups like the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS). At a[ question and answer session](http://www.cfr.org/intelligence/cias-global-mission-countering-shared-threats/p36271) at the Center for Foreign Relations in New York City on Friday, Brennan said using “Islamic” or “Muslim” to describe ISIS militants gives them “the type of Islamic legitimacy that they are so desperately seeking, but which they don’t deserve at all.” “I do think it does injustice to the tenets of religion when we attach a religious moniker to them,” Brennan said. President Barack Obama has come under fire from some conservative commentators and politicians for not identifying the extremists with the religion they claim to represent. Addressing the criticism head on at the White House Summit on Countering Violent Extremism last month, Obama said that those who use the religious descriptors are [peddling a “lie”](http://time.com/3715374/isis-barack-obama-rhetoric/) that helps ISIS recruit Muslims to its cause. An estimated 20,000 foreign fighters, including several thousand from Western countries, have traveled to the region to join ISIS, which has proven adept at using social media to reach a global audience. Brennan announced last week a sweeping reorganization of the CIA that included the creation of a new “Directorate of Digital Innovation” devoted to cyber operations. At the talk on Friday, which was hosted by CBS News’ Charlie Rose, Brennan warned that defeating ISIS’s capabilities and appeal will “take years.” “We need to expose just how murderous and psychopathic these individuals are,” he said. ### Peek Inside Kobani After Kurds Claim Victory Over ISIS  A Kurdish man stands in a destroyed building in the center of the Syrian border town of Kobani on Jan. 28, 2015. Bulent Kilic—AFP/Getty Images  Street scene in Kobani on Jan. 28, 2015. Bulent Kilic—AFP/Getty Images  A Kurdish fighter speaks on the phone as one of his comrades walks past in the center of the Syrian town of Kobani on Jan. 28, 2015. Bulent Kilic—AFP/Getty Images  A Kurdish fighter walks through the wreckage of a building in the center of the Syrian town of Kobani on Jan. 28\. 2015. Bulent Kilic—AFP/Getty Images  A Kurdish fighter walks with his child in the center of the Syrian border town of Kobani, Jan. 28, 2015. Bulent Kilic—AFP/Getty Images  A shell is used as a vase in the Syrian border town of Kobani on Jan. 28, 2015. Bulent Kilic—AFP/Getty Images  An injured Kurdish fighter sits near the site where a projectile landed in the center of the Syrian town of Kobani on Jan. 28, 2015. Bulent Kilic—AFP/Getty Images  Kurdish fighters walk along a street in the center of the Syrian town of Kobani on Jan. 28, 2015. Bulent Kilic—AFP/Getty Images  A Kurdish fighter drives a truck with a heavy gun machine in the center of the Syrian town of Kobani on Jan. 28\. 2015. Bulent Kilic—AFP/Getty Images  A Kurd stands in a building as pigeons fly over in the center of the Syrian town of Kobani on Jan. 28, 2015. Bulent Kilic—AFP/Getty Images ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3744801/cia-director-john-brennan-isis-muslims-islam/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3744801/cia-director-john-brennan-isis-muslims-islam/"},"headline":"CIA Director Says ISIS Not Islamic, But 'Psychopathic'","datePublished":"2015-03-13T22:13:00.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T05:05:04.236Z","description":"\"We need to expose just how murderous and psychopathic these individuals are\"","url":"https://time.com/3744801/cia-director-john-brennan-isis-muslims-islam/","keywords":["intelligence","ISIS"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6bb855edc893cdf2/698783970b72e336346de2a6/cia-overhaul_raym-1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Noah Rayman","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/noah-rayman/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6bb855edc893cdf2/698783970b72e336346de2a6/cia-overhaul_raym-1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"John Brennan","caption":"John Brennan","creditText":"Richard Drew—AP","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/intelligence/","name":"intelligence"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3744801/cia-director-john-brennan-isis-muslims-islam/","name":"CIA Director Says ISIS Not Islamic, But 'Psychopathic'"}}]}] ```