Kuffiyehs

On the male side, so far I've seen three types of kuffiyehs or head scarves that are typically associated with terrorists or uppity college kids in the states.
The black and white checkered one is the one I'm most familiar with so I'll start with that. This kuffiyeh was traditionally the Palestinian rural garb however when the trouble in the region began it was embraced by all Palestinians as an emblem. That's kind of where it's at today. In Jordan you're just as likely to see a black and white kuffiyeh as you are in Palestine. I'm sure there's more meaning attached to it, but it's generally embraced both here and abroad as a measure of support for the Palestinian cause.
The red kuffiyeh is a bit more complex in politics here. Palestinians account for about half the population of Jordan and really they are the reason Jordan is as much of an urban society as it is. Palestinians brought wealth and a business savy. Hence they own most of the business here and are largely urban. The Jordanians that trace their roots back to the bedouins wear the red kuffiyeh. It can be a symbol of Jordanian nationhood, as opposed to Palestinian unrest that nearly toppled the monarchy in the 70's, or it can be a simple declaration of history. It can be a profound political statement (one of our lecturers referred to 'Jordanian skinheads') or it can be simply fitting in. I haven't worn my kuffiyeh (red) around a lot, but when I have, it hasn't attracted much attention.
The plain white kuffiyeh is generally reserved for special occasions or if the wearer is someone special. Hence it's generally associated with the Gulf countries. Of course the person who explained this all to me does not wear a kuffiyeh herself.