The keffiyeh/kufiya (, , plural , ), also known as a ghutrah , , mashadah , Somali Koofi , shemagh or in Persian  chafiye , Kurdish cemedanî ( جه مه داني), is a traditional Arab headdress fashioned from a square, usually cotton, scarf. It is typically worn by Arab men, as well as some Kurds. It is commonly found in arid regions to provide protection from direct sun exposure, as well to protect the mouth and eyes from blown dust and sand. Its distinctive woven check pattern may have originated in an ancient Mesopotamian representation of either fishing nets or ears of grain. Its prominence increased in the 1960s with the beginning of the Palestinian resistance movement and its adoption by Palestinian politician Yasser Arafat. The Keffiyeh has been a fashion accessory in the United States since the late 1980s. In the early 2000s, keffiyehs were very popular among adolescents in Tokyo, who often wore them with camouflage clothing.