Religion tends to be an essential component of the political scene in the Middle East, even if a given country isn’t officially an Islamic republic. I come from Turkey and even though Turkey is theoretically a secular republic, religion is the primary decision-making factor in politics.
Turkey is ruled by an Islamist party. This is their second term. Not quite surprisingly, they use the religious arguments and images to earn the votes of the majority of the middle and low class. Due to the outside funding they get through a religious cult, they are able to remain economically relatively stable. Moreover, the face of the party, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, is very good at targeting non-followers: there is a clear distinction between people who support the party, and those who do not. This distinction is shown as a difference in the level of religiosity and faith rather than plain political views. Anyone who criticizes government policy faces consequences as drastic as getting jailed.
My understanding of religion contributing to my political beliefs can better be described as politics interfering with my religious beliefs. In a country where religion is manipulated, it is very hard to establish an objective sense of religion for oneself.
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