Sex on the Nile and Potomac

East is East, West is West and never the twain shall meet. But Cairo is Middle East, and there seems to be some twaining going on.

CNN reports the emergence of an Egyptian Dr. Ruth with a weekly satellite show, "The Big Talk" with Dr. Heba Kotb, encouraging women thus: "Sex. Don't be afraid. Join me to talk about sex without shame."

In the Muslim world, this means marital sex, and Dr. Kotb cites the Koran: "Your wives are as a tilth [land or soil to be cultivated] unto you; so approach your tilth when or how ye will; but do some good act for your souls beforehand; and fear Allah."

Dr. Kotb interprets that passage as divine guidance meaning sex shouldn't just happen when the husband wants but that the wives have rights too.

Now, with the Bush Administration heavily promoting abstinence and "secondary virginity," there may be a cultural meeting of the minds in the making.