Where Middle Eastern leaders come from

Middle Eastern leaders almost invariably come from rural towns or villages, including the Mubarrak family in Egypt, the clerical rulers of Iran,the many Arab emirs tracing origins out from the desert, plus many new office holders in Turkey, in Syria (where the Nusayris or Alewites, hold sway. Also consider David Ben Gurian's preference for rural living.

The reason is that the cities are seen by most as symptoms and sources of corruption, economically, culturally, historically.Rural areas are considered the rightful source for the most wholesome identifications, in the Middle East, if not the rest of the world.

It is quite different than the USA or Europe where cities are seen as cultural capitals, with its cuisine, fashion, music. New York, Boston, San Francisco, and, once, New Orleans, all served as cultural beacons. Places in the mind. But it is different in the Middle East. The region is littered with ruined cities.