Cartoonist Renald Luzier, known as Luz, center, sits with the new chief editor of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, Gerard Biard, left, and columnist Patrick Pelloux, right, in a press conference in Paris, France, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2015. AP
PARIS, France – Cartoonist Renald Luzier, who drew Charlie Hebdo’s front cover picture of Muhammad following the massacre of the satirical weekly’s editorial team by jihadists in January, has told a French magazine he will no longer draw the prophet.
“I will no longer draw the figure of Mohammed. It no longer interests me,” Luzier, also known as Luz, told Les Inrockuptibles magazine in an interview published on Wednesday.
“I’m not going to spend my life drawing (cartoons of Muhammad).”
Luzier’s cover image in January portrayed Muhammad with a sign saying “Je Suis Charlie” under the words “All is forgiven”.
The issue came out a week after the attack by jihadists on the magazine’s office left 12 dead. It had a print run of eight million — a record for the French press.
“The terrorists did not win,” Luzier told Les Inrockuptibles.
“They will have won if the whole of France continues to be scared,” he added, accusing the far-right National Front of trying to stir up fear in the wake of the attacks.