--- description: "We do not attack religion, but we do when it gets involved in politics." title: Watch Charlie Hebdo’s Editor Explain Why the Publication Attacks Religion image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2e1f7ff64b560807/69877a9bcd1bbafed96f4b7b/gerard-biard.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Media](/tag/media/) ## Media Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Watch _Charlie Hebdo_’s Editor Explain Why the Publication Attacks Religion  by [Jack Linshi](/author/jack-linshi/)  ## Jack Linshi Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jan 18, 2015 8:33 PM CUT  Charlie Hebdo editor-in-chief Gerard Biard arrives for the funeral ceremony of French cartoonist and Charlie Hebdo editor Stephane "Charb" Charbonnier, on Jan. 16, 2015 in Pontoise, France Charlie Hebdo editor-in-chief Gerard Biard arrives for the funeral ceremony of French cartoonist and Charlie Hebdo editor Stephane "Charb" Charbonnier, on Jan. 16, 2015 in Pontoise, FranceMartin Bureau—AFP/Getty Images  by [Jack Linshi](/author/jack-linshi/)  ## Jack Linshi Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jan 18, 2015 8:33 PM CUT _Charlie Hebdo_ editor Gerard Biard defended the satirical magazine’s decision to put a cartoon depiction of the Prophet Muhammad on its cover following this month’s brutal terrorist attacks, in an interview that aired Sunday. “We do not attack religion, but we do when it gets involved in politics,” Biard, who was in London during the attack on _Charlie Hebdo,_ said on [NBC](http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/paris-magazine-attack/charlie-hebdo-editor-gerard-biard-says-faith-should-stay-out-n288356 "undefined")[‘s _Meet the Press_.](http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/paris-magazine-attack/charlie-hebdo-editor-gerard-biard-says-faith-should-stay-out-n288356 "undefined") _Charlie Hebdo_ has had [a history of controversy with its mocking of several religions](http://time.com/3657256/charlie-hebdo-paris-attack/ "undefined"), particularly Islam. The French weekly’s cover image following the attacks on its office defiantly [portrays the Prophet Muhammad holding a sign reading, “Je Suis Charlie.”](http://time.com/3666862/charlie-hebdo-new-issue-sellout/ "undefined") The issue both [sold out](http://time.com/3666862/charlie-hebdo-new-issue-sellout/ "undefined") and [sparked worldwide opposition from some groups.](http://time.com/3672871/charlie-hebdo-pakistan/ "undefined") Here are three more clips from Biard’s interview. Biard explains how _Charlie Hebdo_ is coping with the aftermath of the attacks, which left 12 dead, including 10 staff members: Biard argues why other media outlets should publish their cartoons, which several international media outlets opted against: Biard urges people not to place thinkers and artists in the same category as murderers: \[[_NBC_](http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/paris-magazine-attack/charlie-hebdo-editor-gerard-biard-says-faith-should-stay-out-n288356 "undefined")\] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3672950/charlie-hebdo-gerard-biard-interview/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3672950/charlie-hebdo-gerard-biard-interview/"},"headline":"Watch Charlie Hebdo’s Editor Explain Why the Publication Attacks Religion","datePublished":"2015-01-18T20:33:28.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T03:40:33.165Z","description":"\"We do not attack religion, but we do when it gets involved in politics\"","url":"https://time.com/3672950/charlie-hebdo-gerard-biard-interview/","keywords":["Media"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2e1f7ff64b560807/69877a9bcd1bbafed96f4b7b/gerard-biard.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Jack Linshi","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/jack-linshi/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2e1f7ff64b560807/69877a9bcd1bbafed96f4b7b/gerard-biard.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"FRANCE-ATTACKS-CHARLIE-HEBDO-CHARB-FUNERAL","caption":"FRANCE-ATTACKS-CHARLIE-HEBDO-CHARB-FUNERAL","creditText":"Martin Bureau—AFP/Getty Images","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/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/media/","name":"Media"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3672950/charlie-hebdo-gerard-biard-interview/","name":"Watch Charlie Hebdo’s Editor Explain Why the Publication Attacks Religion"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Gerard Biard on Meet The Press - How Charlie Hebdo Is Coping With The Aftermath","description":"Gerard Biard on Meet The Press - How Charlie Hebdo Is Coping With The Aftermath","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/BFRMkL4x/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2015-01-18T18:51:39.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/BFRMkL4x.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3672950/charlie-hebdo-gerard-biard-interview/","duration":"PT32S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3672950/charlie-hebdo-gerard-biard-interview/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Gerard Biard on Meet The Press - Why Other Media Outlets Should Publish Our Cartoons","description":"Gerard Biard on Meet The Press - Why Other Media Outlets Should Publish Our Cartoons","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/d0SnSeZU/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2015-01-18T18:48:45.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/d0SnSeZU.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3672950/charlie-hebdo-gerard-biard-interview/","duration":"PT39S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3672950/charlie-hebdo-gerard-biard-interview/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Gerard Biard on Meet The Press - Don't Compare The Victims To The Murderers","description":"Gerard Biard on Meet The Press - Don't Compare The Victims To The Murderers","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/LRXqYfUd/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2015-01-18T18:55:32.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/LRXqYfUd.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3672950/charlie-hebdo-gerard-biard-interview/","duration":"PT26S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3672950/charlie-hebdo-gerard-biard-interview/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```