{{Short description|Egyptian political researcher}} {{Infobox person |name = Rafik Habib |image = |caption = |birth_name = Rafik Samuel Habib |birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1959}} |birth_place = Minya, Egypt |alma_mater = Cairo University<br/> Ain Shams University |occupation = Political researcher, analyst, author, politician |years_active = |boards = |spouse = |children = |parents = |signature = |website = }}
'''Rafik Habib''' ({{langx|ar|رفيق حبيب}}; born in 1959) is an Egyptian political researcher, and analyst, sometimes described as a Coptic intellectual. He serves as Senior Director for IT & Decision Support of CEOSS, an Egyptian, development organization.<ref name="non-secular regime" /><ref name="Board">{{cite web|title=CEOSS Board|url=http://en.ceoss-eg.org/ceoss-board-and-management/|website=CEOSS|accessdate=24 November 2016|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161123143002/http://en.ceoss-eg.org/ceoss-board-and-management/|archivedate=23 November 2016}}</ref>
==Biography== Habib was born in 1959 in Minya, Upper Egypt. He was the son of Samuel Habib, an evangelical pastor of a mega-church who served as president of the Evangelical Denomination in Egypt for many years, from 1980 to 1997.<ref name="father is pastor">{{cite news|last1=O'Neil|first1=Tyler|title=Egyptian Christian, Who Is Son of Coptic Leader, to Lead Muslim Brotherhood Party in Egypt?|url=http://www.christianpost.com/news/egyptian-christian-who-is-son-of-coptic-leader-to-lead-muslim-brotherhood-party-in-egypt-104543/|accessdate=24 November 2016|agency=The Christian Post|date=September 14, 2013|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20130915121421/http://www.christianpost.com/news/egyptian-christian-who-is-son-of-coptic-leader-to-lead-muslim-brotherhood-party-in-egypt-104543/|archivedate=15 September 2013}}</ref><ref name="asenseofbelonging1">{{cite web|url=http://asenseofbelonging.org/2011/04/14/rafik-habib-on-sharia-state-and-christianity/|title=Rafik Habib: On Sharia, State, and Christianity|publisher=A sense of belonging|accessdate=December 8, 2012|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130106045735/http://asenseofbelonging.org/2011/04/14/rafik-habib-on-sharia-state-and-christianity/|archivedate=January 6, 2013}}</ref>
In 1982, Habib graduated from the Faculty of Arts, Department of Psychology at Cairo University. In 1988, he received his PhD in Psychology from Ain Shams University.<ref name="asenseofbelonging1"/><ref name="google1">{{cite book|author=Peter E. Makari|title=Conflict & Cooperation: Christian-Muslim Relations in Contemporary Egypt|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sIoeuqX0p3oC&pg=PA133|accessdate=December 8, 2012|year=2007|publisher=Syracuse University Press|isbn=978-0-8156-3144-6|page=133}}</ref><ref name="ahram1">{{cite web|url=http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/59931/Egypt/Politics-/Coptic-FJP-leader-and-presidential-advisor-quits-p.aspx|title=Coptic FJP leader and presidential advisor quits political life – Politics – Egypt|publisher=Ahram Online|accessdate=December 8, 2012|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121209025144/http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/59931/Egypt/Politics-/Coptic-FJP-leader-and-presidential-advisor-quits-p.aspx|archivedate=December 9, 2012}}</ref>
He said his first interaction with the Muslim Brotherhood was in 1989 when he began researching Islamist movements.<ref>{{cite web|author=Bradley Hope|url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/mena/a-coptic-christian-s-reasons-for-backing-the-muslim-brotherhood-1.422579|title=A Coptic Christian's reasons for backing the Muslim Brotherhood|publisher=The National|access-date=December 8, 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130113220519/http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/middle-east/a-coptic-christians-reasons-for-backing-the-muslim-brotherhood|archive-date=January 13, 2013}}</ref>
He was instrumental in the founding of the Al-Wasat Party, a moderate centrist, Islamist party, founded in 1996<ref name="google1" /> and in July 2011, he was appointed deputy chairman of the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party, which confused a lot of people given that he is Christian.<ref name="Iskander2012">{{cite book|author=Elizabeth Iskander|title=Sectarian Conflict in Egypt: Coptic Media, Identity and Representation|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9LinfigcDnwC&pg=PA183|accessdate=December 8, 2012|date=May 31, 2012|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-0-415-69578-7|pages=183–}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Bradley Hope |url=http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/middle-east/morsi-defends-actions-calls-for-national-dialogue-meeting |title=Morsi defends actions, calls for national dialogue meeting |publisher=The National |access-date=December 8, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121208134334/http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/middle-east/morsi-defends-actions-calls-for-national-dialogue-meeting |archive-date=December 8, 2012 }}</ref>
He was criticized by many for backing the Muslim Brotherhood. The Orthodox Coptic Pope, Pope Shenouda described him as being "an insurgent Protestant" and other people said he had converted to Islam.<ref name="google1"/><ref name="Criticized">{{cite web|title=Rafik Habib|url=http://www.islamopediaonline.org/profile/rafik-habib|website=Islamopediaonline|accessdate=24 November 2016|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304133607/http://www.islamopediaonline.org/profile/rafik-habib|archivedate=4 March 2016}}</ref>
He resigned from the position in December 2012- he was one of several advisers to Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi who resigned in the midst of the 2012 Egyptian protests.<ref name="ahram1"/>
In 2014, he predicted there would be a counter-coup.<ref name="non-secular regime">{{cite news|title=Coptic intellectual predicts counter-coup|url=https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20140208-coptic-intellectual-predicts-counter-coup/|accessdate=24 November 2016|agency=Middle East Monitor|date=February 8, 2014|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161124092830/https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20140208-coptic-intellectual-predicts-counter-coup/|archivedate=24 November 2016}}</ref> He maintains a personal homepage where he posts his views with links to his articles published to a website called Scribd.<ref name="personal website">{{cite web|last1=Habib|first1=Rafik|title=Dr. Rafiq Habib|url=https://rafikhabib.com/|website=Rafik Habib personal webpage|accessdate=24 November 2016}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist|30em}}
==External references== * [https://rafikhabib.com/ Rafik Habib webpage (in Arabic)]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Habib, Rafik}} Category:1959 births Category:Living people Category:Cairo University alumni Category:Egyptian people of Coptic descent Category:Coptic Christians from Egypt Category:Coptic politicians Category:Ain Shams University alumni Category:People of the Egyptian revolution of 2011 Category:People from Minya Governorate Category:Egyptian politicians Category:Egyptian writers