Australian Cardinal George Pell walks onto the stage for the opening mass for World Youth Day in Sydney, Australia, July 15, 2008.
Credit:AP/Rick Rycroft

Where is the outrage from our government at 4,444 reported cases of child sexual abuse over 30 years? The silence is deafening, says John Passant.

Imagine if the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse had found and reported on widespread systemic abuse of children by Islamic religious leaders?

The condemnation would be never ending from the Islamophobes, media and politicians.

Weeks later, there would still be analysis and calls for action, including banning Islam, banning Muslims, closing Islamic schools, policing Islam, banning Muslim refugees and asylum seekers — oh, we already do that. And on to all the usual tropes of reaction about, for example, Sharia law, halal food, the oppression of women, homophobia and – the biggie – terrorism.

I will get to sexual terrorism in a moment. The hysteria about Muslim terrorism is long on rhetoric and short on facts. Of course, some Islamic state sympathisers and similar people will try to kill […]