Bishop Samuel Habib, head of the Protestant community in Egypt and an advocate of Middle East peace, has died in the United States. He was 69.

Bishop Habib died of a suddenheart attack last Tuesday in Pasadena, California, while on a tour to visit the Egyptian Coptic community in the United States, said his secretary, Adib Nageeb.

Habib studied in New York and received a doctorate in theology from San Francisco University.

He called repeatedly in his writings and speeches for Middle East peace. In 1980, he was elected as head of the Protestant community of nearly 750,000 Egyptians in 14 denominations.

He was commonly referred to in Egypt as the Anglican bishop but is not recognised as such by the Church of England.

Habib is survived by a son, Rafiq, and daughter, Rozina. Rafiq was a founding member of the Wasat Party, an attempt by moderate Muslims and Christians to find a centrist political party; the government has refused to recognise it.