Heba Kotb

Infobox Person


image_size = 150px
name = Heba Gamal Kotb
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birth_date = bda|1967|9|19cite web |url=http://www.hebakotb.net/resume.htm |title=Resume (official site) |accessdate=2008-02-28]
birth_place = Egypt
residence = Cairo, Egypt
death_date =
death_place =
other_names =
known_for =
occupation = Sexologist
nationality = Egyptian
website = http://www.hebakotb.net

Dr. Heba Kotb (born September 19, 1967) is a certified sex therapist and host of "The Big Talk", a sexual advice show in Egypt. The first licensed sexologist in the country, Kotb bases her methods on the teachings of the Qur'an, which she says encourages strong marital life including healthy sexual relationships between husband and wife.cite web |url=http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2007/06/06/kotb/ |title=Sex and the married Muslim |date=2007-06-06 |accessdate=2008-02-28 |author=Clark-Flory, Tracy]

Early life and education

Born and raised in Egypt, Kotb grew up wanting to be a surgeon.cite web |url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/04/25/muslim.sextalk/index.html |title= Egypt's 'Dr. Ruth': Let's talk sex in the Arab world |publisher = CNN |date=2007-04-26 |accessdate=2008-02-28] She attended medical school at Cairo University, writing a thesis named "Medicolegal Implications of Sexually Transmitted Diseases in Sexually abused Children." While writing her thesis, she realized that she had very little idea about normal sexuality. As a result, she began researching the topic, eventually coming across a passage in the Qur'an discussing sexual relations between husbands and wives that she saw as speaking to the woman's sexual rights. Of the experience, she said:

In 2003, she became the first licensed sexologist in Egypt, graduating with a degree in clinical sexology from Maimonides University. She continued her studies, eventually earning a Ph.D with her thesis, entitled "Sexuality in Islam".

"The Big Talk"

Kotb's show, "The Big Talk", is a call-in show broadcast on Al-Mehwar, an Egyptian satellite channel,cite web |url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117962858.html?categoryid=14&cs=1 |title=Femme-led talk shows tackle taboos |date = 2007-04-16 |author=Jaafar, Ali |publisher = Variety Magazine] where she answers questions about common sexual topics including masturbation and foreplay. Although Kotb states that she is open to most questions, as part of her proposal she agreed to not discuss sex outside of marriagecite web |url=http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Quirks/2007/04/26/doctor_airs_sex_talk_in_egypt/ |title=Doctor airs sex talk in Egypt |publisher=United Press International |date=2007-04-26 |accessdate=2008-02-29] and also refuses to discuss topics which are haram, or prohibited by Islam, such as sex during a woman's menses and anal sex.

Although Kotb's show is extremely popular, it has drawn its share of conservative critics.cite web |url=http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1716548,00.html |title=An Islamic Answer to Dr. Ruth |date=2008-02-22 |accessdate=2008-02-29 |author=Radwan, Amany |publisher=Time Magazine] Sheik Youssef al-Badri, a conservative cleric noted for his support of female circumcision,cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/42914.stm |title=Egyptian ban on female circumcision upheld |date=1997-12-28 |accessdate=2008-02-29 |publisher=BBC News] has criticized her show for "increas [ing] the number of sex perverts".

Beliefs about sexuality

Kotb cites Al-Baqara ("The Cow"), the longest passage of the Qur'an, as her inspiration for understanding human sexuality, noting that it speaks about the daily life of a man and woman and commands the man to provide pleasure to his wife.cite web |url=http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/Story?id=3027905 |title="Have More Sex" Says Muslim 'Dr. Ruth' |publisher = ABC News |date=2007-04-11 |accessdate=2008-02-29 |author=Dinnick, Wilf and McGregor-Wood, Simon] She argues that Islam in general and the Qu'ran in particular is very permissive of sex, and that discussion of the topic is suppressed not by religion but by culture.

While this stance is seen as extremely liberal in Egypt, Kotb's beliefs about sexuality tend to be conservative by Western standards. She has called homosexuality a "disorder ... an acquired thing", and compared homosexuals to "the alcoholics and the drug-takers". Although she has called for women to explore their bodies, she has also stated that women do not need to masturbate, discouraging the practice by saying that "a woman has to remain blank until she gets married and by masturbating she's forming her sexuality."

References

External links

* [http://www.hebakotb.net Heba Kotb's official website]
* [http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/B51F031A-4D9D-4928-A808-6A15988835A0.htm Interview on Al-Jazeera]