Lebanon is no stranger to electronic revolutions. It has become quite common for government websites to serve as platforms for hackers to raise their concerns. Last year, a group of Lebanese hackers known as Raise Your Voice (RYV) hacked approximately fifteen Lebanese government websites with demands for change, calling for an improvement in living standards.
Recently, however, the official website of the Lebanese Parliament was hacked and shut down by a group of hackers, claiming to be “Team Kuwait Hackers.” Anyone who visited the website for the next twenty-four hours came across a picture of the controversial Salafist Sheikh of Bilal Ben Rabah Mosque, Ahmad al-Assir and a message directed towards the Sunni population in Lebanon. The message stated: “Hezbollah has always bullied Sunni Muslims and now it is doing the same with Syria. The President of Syria Bashar al Assad is a sheep.”
Even though the hackers clearly portrayed their support for al-Assir, he has denied having any connection with the hackers and called on them to undo their actions. In a statement made by the General Secretariat of the Parliament, the hackers were warned that they would be pursued and legally prosecuted.
Though the recent event can be seen as a part of the electronic revolution for change, it seems unclear why Kuwaiti hackers would convey their message through the website of the Lebanese parliament.
Go to:
http://www.lbcgroup.tv/news/75971/lebanese-parliaments-website-hacked-sheikh-assirs
http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/73076
http://m.dailystar.com.lb/News/Local-News/2013/Feb-23/207634-lebanese-parliament-website-hacked.ashx