German-Turkish author Seyran Ates has written a new book “Islam Needs a Sexual Revolution”. A quick look of web talk, beginning with Phyllis Chessler’s Pajamas Media, then moving to SPIEGEL Online’s interview with Ates and then Muslimah Media Watch’s review of Ates’ book suggest to me that an interesting and potentially profound conversation is brewing not only at Anne of Carversville but around the world.

Egyptian feminists have specifically asked me to continue writing boldly on the topic of religion’s need to control female sexuality, and they are translating my writing into Arabic.

Muslimah Media Watch argues against Seyran Ates central reference to Wilhelm Reich as a proponent of women’s need for a sexual liberation movement. Indeed Reich is a controversial figure, more for his philosophy than for MMW’s assertion that he was a “serial wife-cheater” and therefore not credible. (Note: I have since researched this “serial wife-cheater” assertion and in 10 top Google page reads, do NOT find the Muslimah assertion to be true. There are many references to the fact the Reich’s wife led a more open marriage and Wilhelm Reich openly struggled with this fact. I’ve not yet found references to Reich being a “serial wife-cheater”.)

My concern is Reich’s scientific theory of “orgone energy” which I’ve always found to be credible. Muslimah Media Watch makes a fair and generally accurate description of Reich’s arguments of a fundamental tension between monotheistic religion and female sexuality.

Wilhelm Reich’s central thesis that nascent sexual energy was not an immoral aspect of human animalistic nature, but rather the primary life force in men and women. Reich’s thinking of a positive human sexuality — especially in women — threatened the fundamental premises of monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

America jailed Reich for his views, but he’s very much back in the limelight, now that technology allows us to explore the actual reality of a measurable human energy force.

We have a diverse constellation of characters and actors coming together around what I believe is a fundamental explanation of women’s oppression and man’s need to control female sexuality.

Conservative writer Phyllis Chessler, Muslim women bloggers and liberal feminists like myself are suddenly converging around a key concept of female existence, articulated by Seyran Ates in her book “Islam Needs a Sexual Revolution”.

Chessler probably wouldn’t agree with me that Islam isn’t the only religion that needs a revolution. I’m taking a hard, cold look at all religion and women these days, as I did years ago in my university studies.

Perhaps diverse women intellectuals and thinkers are open to a major conversation about this topic of women, sexuality, politics and religion.

Comments on these women’s blogs tend to reinforce various ideological arguments, but the women writers are speaking in a collective, more neutral voice I haven’t heard before, even though we’re officially “at odds” with each other in many ways.

This is a most interesting “brew” of Turkish coffee being poured here and we should all be thinking of how to advance the discussion of what may be the most fundamental question that thinking women must address about their identity and relationships with religion, politics, men and culture. Anne

Wafe Sultan’s book “A God Who Hates” is also drawing much attention — as disruptive and controversial as it is affirmational