Does that palestinian scarf (shemagh?) have a meaning?

Answer 1

The keffiyeh (Arabic: كوفية‎, kūfīyä; plural: Arabic: كوفيات‎, kūfīyāt) is also known as a shmagh/shemagh (Arabic: شماغ‎, šmāġ), a ghutra (Arabic: غطرة‎, ġuṭrä) or a hatta (Arabic: حطّة‎, ḥaṭṭä).

The keffiyeh is a traditional Arab headdress, made of a square of cloth ("scarf"), usually cotton, folded and wrapped in various styles around the head. It is commonly found in arid climate areas to provide protection from direct sun exposure, as well as for occasional use in protecting the mouth and eyes from blown dust and sand.

In the 1930s, the keffiyeh became a symbol of Palestinian nationalism as a result of its association with rural areas (as opposed to the city-dweller's fez). It was adopted by many of the Palestinians who supported Grand Mufti Amin al-Husayni during the Great Uprising. The British attempted to ban it in Jenin, and at one point, a British army chief went so far as to propose jailing any Palestinian who wore it, but he was overruled by his superiors. It would later become a trademark symbol of Yasser Arafat, who was rarely seen without a keffiyeh. Arafat would wear the keffiyeh in the traditional manner, around the head and wrapped by an agal, but he also wore in the neckline of his military fatigues.