The man who stirred the most "humorous" media frenzy since the outbreak of Syria's conflict ended up dramatically flaring Sidon in less than 24 hours.

Ahmad Al Assir, aged 45, was born to a Sunni father and Shiite mother and was renowned for playing goblet drum (Derbakeh) and lute (Oud) as he actually took part in "Studio Al Fen", a TV artistic competition.

Assir, who grew up in a Shiite-majority neighborhood of Sidon, studied comparative jurisprudence in Beirut Islamic University and spent four years in the Jamaa Al Islamiyya ranks before joining a non-partisan group, called "Al Daawa Wal Tabligh".

Assir can be best described as a real jack of all trades: he worked in repairing electronics, building sites, steel plant, bakery, selling vegetables and fruits until he finally settled down in a mobile phones shop and a grocery store.

In 1997, he founded what has become known today as the Bilal Bin Rabah mosque in Abra. But it took Al Assir until 2011 to claw his way to stardom with the outbreak of Syria's conflict as he condemned remarks made by Shia Cleric Mohammad Yazbek, a member of Hezbollah, about the Prophet Mohammad's wife, Aisha, demanding him to apologize.

Amid the Syrian crisis which has widened the rift between the Lebanese and the absence of Sunni moderation with the coerced eviction of Al Mustaqbal leader MP Saad Hariri, the extremist rhetoric was fostered by Al Assir phenomenon. The Salafist sheikh's fiery sermons condemning Hezbollah's arms and slamming the Shiite party's secretary general increasingly drew attention, enabling him therefore, thanks to supplied funding, to turn into an extremist Sunni phenomenon whose aim what to confront the extremist Shiite partisan hegemony.

The Sunni cleric had actually issued a Jihad Fatwa [religious decree], urging Muslims and the Lebanese people to fight alongside the rebels in Syria. Photos and video footage emerged showing Assir with Syrian rebel fighters, accompanied by claims that the footage documented the mosque preacher’s visit to the region of Syria’s Al Qusayr. On the other hand, the Free Syrian Army denied the Lebanese cleric’s visit.

Al Assir soon decided to expand his activities, claiming himself the defender of the Sunnis. He even attempted to lure Christians with his antics either by organizing snow trips to ski resorts located within Christian-majority regions or by selling his house in Sidon’s suburb of Shuwalik to one of the village’s Christian residents.

Suddenly, Assir set up a tent and blocked the highway connecting Sidon to south Lebanon in protest at Hezbollah illegal arms, demanding officials to address this issue.

Assir’s last moment in the limelight dates back to few days ago when he gave security officials a warning ultimatum to vacate the two apartments occupied by Hezbollah personnel in Abra. However, Assir agreed to push back the deadline until after official exams are over, but he was the one who failed in the security test.

Ahmad Al Assir’s phenomenon was dashed though his whereabouts are still unknown which prompt us to ask: is he the new Shaker Al Abssi?