People outside the developed countries of the U.S. or European countries always have dreams of grandeur. They see the developed countries as a place to achieve the wildest dreams. It is assumed that riches and success is guaranteed once one makes it to a developed country. It is almost as though outsiders believe that people have no ailments of third world countries, such as illness, death or poverty.
They think everything is easy, such that everyone in the developed country is rich and they view it as such and hope and respect all who have been there. I relate to this since I grew up in a third world country in Africa and have been exposed to the expectations and rumors about developed countries.
Nevertheless, it is true to the extent that there are a lot more opportunity than there are in third world countries, and there is less corruption or hindrance of opportunity. Mustafa was secretive towards Salih because he had endured the same broken dreams of the developed country abroad. After such huge dreams of wild success abroad, he awoke to the reality of the hardships present too in the developed country.
Salih like Mustafa had both endured and suffered the phenomenon of failure in the developed countries. That is most probably the reason why Mustafa hid his past from Salih. Everyone therefore held Mustafa with high regard because he had been and lived abroad in the developed country. So they put him in the committee and looked unto he for good advice and sounder counsel.