QAnon is gaining popularity in America
May 28, 2021, 12:46 pm

QAnon

A sticker that references the QAnon slogan is seen on a truck that participated in a caravan convoy in Adairsville, Georgia, U.S. September 5, 2020. REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage/File Photo/File Photo

Andy Gregory

QAnon, the conspiracy theory claiming a Satanic paedophile ring has a grip on world power, is now as popular as some major religions in the United States, polling suggests.

With Donald Trump having been held up as a possible hero figure within the movement, belief in the ever-evolving conspiracy’s core tenets became increasingly prevalent in the US during his presidency, culminating in QAnon bursting from internet forums and social media into mainstream consciousness and politics as its proponents joined the fatal January raid on the US Capitol.

Major polling from the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) and Interfaith Youth Core, carried out in March, now suggests that more than 30 million Americans are in the thrall of the conspiracy.

“Thinking about QAnon, if it were a religion, it would be as big as all white evangelical Protestants, or all white mainline Protestants,” PRRI founder Robby Jones told The New York Times. “So it lines up there with a major religious group.”

Some 15 per cent of the survey’s 5,625 participants said they agreed with QAnon’s integral premise that “the government, media, and financial worlds in the US are controlled by a group of Satan-worshipping pedophiles who run a global child sex trafficking operation”.

An even greater proportion agreed with the conspiracy’s calls for violent, apocalyptic resolution, with one in five respondents believing “there is a storm coming soon that will sweep away the elites in power and restore the rightful leaders”.

Displaying the kind of thinking which saw pro-Q and pro-Trump adherents march on the Capitol following Mr Trump’s “big lie” over the US election, and is causing alarm among national security officials, 15 per cent agreed with the notion that “true American patriots may have to resort to violence in order to save our country”.

While the vast majority of participants disagreed with all three statements – respectively 83, 77 and 85 per cent – Mr Jones said: “It’s one thing to say that most Americans laugh off these outlandish beliefs, but when you take into consideration that these beliefs are linked to a kind of apocalyptic thinking and violence, then it becomes something quite different.”

And although the numbers of people who fully adhere to such beliefs are relatively low, a significantly greater portion of the US population appear willing to entertain them on some level.

The researchers found that, while just 40 per cent of respondents completely disagreed with the three above statements and 14 per cent fully or mostly agreed, a third group dubbed “QAnon doubters” – which formed a majority with 44 per cent – said they “mostly disagreed”, but did not reject them outright.

The polling is the merely latest to emphasise the extent to which tendrils of the conspiracy have taken hold among Republican voters – just one in five of whom rejected the three statements outright, compared with 58 per cent of Democrats.

Among Republican voters, the majority fell into the “QAnon doubter” category, however nearly one in four were found to be QAnon believers.

While the GOP currently houses lawmakers such as Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert who have previously touted QAnon theories, with all but 11 House Republicans effectively failing to condemn such views by voting in February not to strip the former of her committee responsibilities over her former claims, IPPR’s research suggested a strong correlation also exists between far-right media consumption and belief in the conspiracy.

Of respondents who listed far-right networks such as One America News and Newsmax as their most trusted outlets, as many as 40 per cent said they believed Satan-worshipping paedophiles control US government, media and finance.

Some 48 per cent of those who trust far-right news sources said they expected a coming storm to sweep away current elites and restore the country’s rightful leaders – falling to 34 per cent among viewers of Fox News, whose primetime host Tucker Carlson has repeatedly downplayed the threat posed by QAnon.

While QAnon’s followers have been repeatedly let down by its prophesied events failing to come to pass – notably including Mr Trump’s supposed re-inauguration on 4 March – the conspiracy has proven highly adaptable, serving as a so-called “big tent” for a wide range of pre-existing and constantly evolving conspiracies.

For example, the researchers found that 73 per cent of QAnon adherents believe Mr Trump’s lie that the election was stolen, compared with 29 per cent of the general population.

And while just 9 per cent of Americans appear to believe that Covid-19 vaccines contain a surveillance microchip that is the sign of the beast in biblical prophecy, this rose to 39 per cent among QAnon believers.

The Independent, May 28, 2021/11:00 AM

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UK's Johnson does not agree that his inaction killed thousands died from coronavirus The economy of Europe has arrived turning point but still in need of the support of the European Central Bank

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).

Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.