So, while reading Tintin with my 3.5-year old son, he asked me yet another in a long series of questions that leave me stumped. At least with this one, I can turn to you all.

There was an Arab character wearing one of those traditional Arab head-coverings. It looks like a white kerchief or something, and it is held in place with a sort of padded band, often with some subdued decoration on the band, and I believe they are worn only by men. Arab heads of state (punsters, have at it!) are often seen wearing them, and I even picked one up in Egypt years ago and it has since gone the way of the dodo (which I'm sure is around here somewhere), but I just don't remember what the things are called. Any help?

While we're at it - Yassir Arafat is often seen wearing a black and white checked scarf, which is also common among a lot of Arab men - what's it called? Is there any significance to who's wearing what when in regards to these various items?

My reputation with my kid is on the line here folks, and I've got to make sure he still thinks of me as the dad who rarely answers a question right away, but once in a while can go off and ask someone smarter for help.