What is the origin of the red-and-white checkerboard pattern of the Arabic keffiyeh?

by Vladith

This may be my Eurocentricism speaking, but I have never seen such a pattern outside of Europe and the keffiyeh. It looks quite distinct from other patterns on Islamic or traditional Arab clothing. Does the pattern predate Islam? Was its spread facilitated by the spread of Islam, or was it common in the Arabian peninsula before Muhammad?

ProfessorBonsai

Someone just posted about this yesterday in r/Israel: http://www.reddit.com/r/Israel/comments/2dwct7/anyone_else_find_this_a_bit_ironic/