would a person more likely get arrest if he wears it?

1. Yes, sort of - issued desert gear a long time ago

2. Never

3. No - see #2

4. No, but you must look, er, unusual with a baseball cap on top!

I've used a long woolen scarf as a head/neck/face wrap in extreme cold when I didn't have anything better to use.

If you like it, use it. I never really used mine for various reasons, half of which I've forgotten.

Tom

It's a really useful piece of kit. I got used to wearing the shemagh when travelling in the Middle East and later bought a British Army version which I carry almost every time I go hiking. It's a lot more versatile than any kind of hat because you can wear it in so many different configurations. I would seriously recommend including a large scarf or shemagh in a BOB.

I wear mine without incident, in New York, at the airport, wherever. Long as it fits the context, no one seems to even notice, let alone care. Don't wear it desert style unless you are in a dust storm. Wearing it like that in public will get you noticed in a bad way. Kinda like wearing a bandana over your nose and mouth like a desperado, or a Nixon head mask.

Now if I was wearing it with an egal or had on other middle eastern gear, that might start getting me noticed some also.

If you just wear it like a scarf and have it ready to deploy in other ways as the need arises, then you shouldn't expect any trouble.

Is the shemagh made of cotton or synthetic fiber?

Why are you guys like it so much other being desert fashion conscious guy? The fabric appears too be too porous to block snow in the winter or blowing sand.

All traditional shemaghs are made of cotton. It is just plain comfortable, practical in most conditions, just enough. Some of the cheaper ones I found in Iraq were too open weave to be much more than a sunshade and mosquito net. However, the ones marketed by brigade quartermasters and other such companies are more substantial, enough so that they will do an effective job as a sand block. You will get some blow-by, but too tight a weave, like a linen, get's plugged up and difficult to suck air through pretty quick.

Man, air travel is getting scary...