Heba Kotb(Arabic:هبة قطب;born September 19, 1967) is an Egyptian certifiedsex therapistand host ofThe Big Talk,a sexual advice show airing inEgypt.The first licensedsexologistin the country, Kotb bases her methods on the teachings of theQur'an,which she says encourages healthysexual relationshipsbetween husband and wife.[5]She has been called: "Egypt'sDr. Ruth."[6]
Heba Gamal Kotb | |
|---|---|
هبة قطب | |
| Born | September 19, 1967[1] |
| Nationality | Egyptian |
| Other names | "Egypt'sDr. Ruth"[2][3][4] |
| Alma mater |
|
| Occupation(s) | Sexologist,talk show host |
| Television | Host ofThe Big Talk,an Egyptian sexual advice show |
| Children | 3 |
| Website | hebakotb.net |
Early life and education
editBorn and raised in Egypt, Kotb grew up wanting to be a surgeon.[6]She has three children.[7]
She attended medical school atCairo University,writing a thesis entitled "Medicolegal Implications of Sexually Transmitted Diseases in Sexually abused Children."[1]While writing her thesis, she realized that she had very little idea about normal sexuality.[6]As a result, she began researching the topic, eventually coming across a passage in theQur'andiscussingsexual relationsbetween husbands and wives that she saw as speaking to the woman's sexual rights. Of the experience, she said:
I was so proud of my religion when I saw that. My religion was advanced enough to talk about women's rights in sexuality how many years before modern science did?[6]
In 2003, she became the first licensedsexologistin Egypt, graduating with a degree in clinicalsexologyfrom Maimonides University inFlorida.[8]She continued her studies, eventually earning aPh.Dwith her 2004 thesis, entitled "Sexuality in Islam".[1][9][10][11]
In 2002, she started writing asex advice columnin aCaironewspaper.[12]She also provides sex therapy to male and female patients at an Islam-oriented sex therapy clinic in Cairo, and by 2017 had published four books on sexual relationships.[13][3][14][15]As of 2021, she had more than 2 million followers on her Facebook page.[16]She is also an assistant professor of psychology at theAmerican University of Cairo.[17][18]
The Big Talk
editKotb's show,The Big Talk,is a weekly call-in show broadcast onAl Mehwar,an Egyptian satellite channel; the show is transmitted across the Arab world.[19][20]In the show she answers questions about common sexual topics, includingmasturbation(she is against it for women),oral sex(OK if both people consent), the bestsexual positions,penetration from behind (that's fine),sex toys(fine, if no injuries),foreplay,orgasm,erectile dysfunction,premature ejaculation,sex during awoman's period(Allah does not permit it; it isharam,prohibited byIslam),marital rape(it results from possessiveness at times, or a husband's feeling that his wife isn't giving him enough time and attention),anal sex(she condemns it; it is alsoharam),homosexuality(she says it is a disease), andconversion therapy(she practices it).[21][2][22][23][15][24][25][26][27]
Although Kotb says that she is open to most questions, as part of her proposal she agreed to not discusssex outside of marriage.[28]
Although Kotb's show is extremely popular, it has drawn its share of conservative critics.[29]Sheik Youssef al-Badri, a conservative cleric noted for his support offemale circumcision,[30]has criticized her show for "increas[ing] the number of sex perverts".[5]
She has been called: "Egypt'sDr. Ruth,"a comparison to German-American sex therapist and authorRuth Westheimer.[6]
Beliefs about sexuality
editKotb citesAl-Baqara( "The Cow" ), the longestsurah(chapter) of the Quran, 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.[5][31]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.[5]
While this stance is seen as extremely liberal in Egypt, Kotb's beliefs about sexuality tend to be conservative by Western standards. 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."[5]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^abc"Resume (official site)".Archived fromthe originalon 17 October 2007.Retrieved28 February2008.
- ^abManeshka Eliatamby, Sandra I. Cheldelin (2011).Women Waging War and Peace; International Perspectives of Women's Roles in Conflict and Post-Conflict Reconstruction
- ^abHabeeb Akande (2015).A Taste of Honey; Sexuality and Erotology in Islam
- ^Ajit Randhawa (2009).Evolution of Faith and Religion; An Exploration
- ^abcdeClark-Flory, Tracy (6 June 2007)."Sex and the married Muslim".Salon.Retrieved28 February2008.
- ^abcdeAneesh Raman). (26 April 2007)."Egypt's 'Dr. Ruth': Let's talk sex in the Arab world".CNN.Retrieved28 February2008.
- ^Dan Cohn-Sherbok (2015).Love, Sex and Marriage; Insights from Judaism, Christianity and Islam
- ^The Advocate,Issues 988-999, 2007.
- ^"Heba Kotb, M.D., Ph.D."The American Board of Sexology.
- ^Fam, Mariam (12 October 2006)."An Arab Therapist Seeks to Lift the Veil On a Touchy Subject; With Frank Talk About Sex, Ms. Kotb Helps Couples Confront the Unknown".The Wall Street Journal.
- ^Anne Sofie Roald, Lena Jayyusi (2016).Media and Political Contestation in the Contemporary Arab World; A Decade of Change
- ^Marshall Cavendish (2010).Sex and Society.
- ^Worth, Robert F. (5 June 2009)."Challenging Sex Taboos, with Help from the Koran".The New York Times.
- ^Shereen El Feki (2013).Sex and the Citadel; Intimate Life in a Changing Arab World
- ^ab"Muslim Women - The Guardian Wants to Teach You About Sex".Al Bawaba.17 July 2017.
- ^Avi Asher Schapiro, Maya Gebeily (3 June 2021)."LGBT+ conversion therapy: banned on Facebook, but thriving in Arabic".Reuters.
- ^Miriam Berger (9 February 2017)."The Secret Online Dating Scene In Socially Conservative Egypt".Vocativ.
- ^Sarah ElMeshad (26 September 2012)."Cold turkey: For food addicts, overeating is impossible to quit".Egypt Independent.
- ^Pankaj Mishra (31 May 2010)."Islamismism".The New Yorker.
- ^Jaafar, Ali (16 April 2007)."Femme-led talk shows tackle taboos".Variety.
- ^"Behind Bedroom Doors".12 September 2013.
- ^Isobel Coleman (2013).Paradise Beneath Her Feet; How Women Are Transforming the Middle East
- ^"Egypt: sexology within the boundaries of Islam".Religionscope.6 August 2007.
- ^"Conversion therapy thrives globally as bans gather pace".
- ^"Muslim Sex".8 October 2009.
- ^Media and Political Contestation in the Contemporary Arab World: A Decade of Change.Springer. 26 January 2016.ISBN9781137539076.
- ^"Riz Khan - Egyptian Sexologist - 08 May 07".YouTube.
- ^"Doctor airs sex talk in Egypt".United Press International.26 April 2007.Retrieved29 February2008.[permanent dead link]
- ^Radwan, Amany (22 February 2008)."An Islamic Answer to Dr. Ruth".Time Magazine.Archived fromthe originalon 28 February 2008.Retrieved29 February2008.
- ^"Egyptian ban on female circumcision upheld".BBC News.28 December 1997.Retrieved29 February2008.
- ^Dinnick, Wilf; McGregor-Wood, Simon (11 April 2007)."'Have More Sex' Says Muslim 'Dr. Ruth'".ABC News.Retrieved29 February2008.
External links
edit- Heba Kotb's official website
- "Interview on Al-Jazeera",Riz Khan - Egyptian Sexologist - 8 May 2007 (video)
- Ian Fortey (July 22, 2008)."5 Sex Experts Who Made the World a Worse Place (To Do It),"Cracked.