Charlie Hebdo Editor Blasts American Press for Refusing To Print Cartoons

The new editor-in-chief of Charlie Hebdo, Gerard Biard, told NBC's Chuck Todd that media outlets in democratic nations that refuse to publish controversial cartoons are insulting their own citizens. "When they refuse to publish this cartoon," Biard said, "when they blur it out, when they decline to publish it, they blur out democracy, secularism, freedom of religion and they insult their citizenship"

TODD: “I’m just curious of your reaction. Many news organizations, including our own, have not shown your cover completely, either blurred out. It’s a decision we made editorially, no government told us to do anything, but it was a decision we made and every news organization is making their own decisions. What is your reaction to our decision and others who have chosen not to show your cover?”
BIARD (through interpreter): “Listen, we cannot blame newspapers that already suffer much difficulty in getting published and distributed in totalitarian regimes for not publishing a cartoon which could cause them, in best jail, and at worst, death. On the other hand, I’m quite critical of newspapers which are published in democratic countries. This cartoon is not just a little figure of little Mohamed drawn by lose. It’s a symbol. It’s the symbol of freedom of speech, of freedom of religion, of democracy, and secularism. It is this symbol that these newspapers refuse to publish. This is what they must understand. When they refuse to publish this cartoon, when they blur it out, when they decline to publish it, they blur out democracy, secularism, freedom of religion and they insult their citizenship.”