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I will be in Morocco and Egypt for 13 days. If I wear the long skirt and the jihab head cover every day is this an insult to this religion? Is it better to try to fit in? I would love to cover our fair colored hair and the jihab would be possible ...we would be willing to wear the dress too..please advise...also any website to buy it...i watched a you tube on how to wear the scarf and it appears that they come with a sewn head starting part (you can tell I don't know how to describe it) so i would like to buy a pre-made one rather than a long scarf to wrap....-

Well first of all it's a hijab, not a jihab.
Second, I've never heard of any visitor to either Morocco or Egypt wearing them to "fit in". You can dress more conservatively to fit in with prevailing moral codes if you like - especially outside the touristy areas locals will probably appreciate it. Longer skirts or sleeves are fine. But frankly, I would wonder about the motives or amount of knowledge of any non-Muslima wearing a hijab. Put it this way: if an Egyptian Muslima visiting Alabama wore a cross necklace to "fit in" with the local Baptists, it would probably strike you as odd. So would travelers getting dreadlocks just because Jamaica is on their itinerary. (the ones who do are especially scary and to be avoided )
Besides which, not all Egypts or Morrocans are even Muslim to beginn with, Egypt has a Coptic minority for instance.

PS I know a blond Kurd from Irak, so you might be surprised at the range of skintones and such found in these countries.

perfect answer..just wanted to know up front...that's what I love about a one to one answer..yes, after I sent it I realized I had mixed the letter...I don't do so well in the game of scrabble (a spelling game) either..thanks

Well if you wear a hijab people will asume that you are a Muslim. Which will get you more respect. I'm not saying you should 'lie' about your religion, but I dont think it's that weird. I saw woman in Morocco who were obviously white and wore headscarfs. Plus while many people from the Turkey/Lebanon/Iraq/Syrian area can usually pass for Itallian/something-sort-exotic-but-hmmmmm...
In Morocco, you cannot. Whereas I could walk down any street in Lebanon/Syria/Turkey/Jordon or Egypt and not be stared at, in Morocco they thought I was French.
So there ya go.
If you want to wear a hijab then feel free. Plus it will probably be cold when you go there. When it was cold I wore a hijab all the time outside, for practical reasons.

If you want to buy a hijab and underscarf (the under thingy that pulls your hair back) google 'Islamic clothing'. There are plenty of places to choose from.
Also remember that you'll need at least 3 hijab pins, preferably in different colours.
Oh and Moroccans dont wear hijab 'babushka style' which is to say: tucking it behind your ears, bringing the flaps forward and pinning it under your chin. Moroccans and Egyptians wear their hijabs 'Shayla style'. So you get the long 'Shayla' cloth. You create a triangle on one end, center that from ear to ear on your forehead and take the rest of the remaining cloth and wrap it 2-3 times around your head.
Personally, I love the beautiful hijabs. To many woman it's just another accessory, just one with cultural roots. They can shop for hours finding the most perfect hijabs and then they go around showing them off to their friends. My good friend Bahija used buy 1 or 2 a week. Ones with flowers, paisly designs, rhinestones...so be as creative or as demure as you want.
The only thing I would caution against is the full veil, the niqab. That will def. garner some stares, espcially if you're eyes are particularly anglo.

Well, I always tell people that in bigger cities, you'll see plenty of Moroccan women not sporting the hijab. Some do and some do not. So, if you're in places like Casa, and -Kech and Rabat, then you can pretty much wear what you want. If you're more in the rural areas, you can dress accordingly. You don't have to cover your head, but if you want to, you can.

You'll get some cat calls no matter what. You may get less, though, if you wear the hijab. I'm not sure if it would make a difference, but there are no rules or laws you must follow. Moroccans are great.

Have fun!

I caught a Rick Steves yesterday, and he went from Tarifa to Tangiers. They followed a huge bus of tourists on what he called the "10 tourist traps" or something, which included the snake charmers, riding a camel, street dancers, crazy monkeys "as long as the monkeys are here the brits will stay" lol....and some other things. Anyhow, everyone was dressed normally, women's clothing wasnt even an issue. Of course, they were in a huge group, but the people here will really have you spooked about such things. Cat calls is nothing, its common in the US. It can be annoying, yes. Maybe it has something to do with race (or maybe not), darker men whistling at white women used to be taboo in the States...and they're not used to that.

THANK YOU...YES...YOU CAn feel my fear vibes coming thru...I am trying to be leveled headed but I am getting nervous and anxious about my Morocco, egypt part of my trip....homeschool

I wouldn't say cat calls are nothing. Because it's not the same kind of cat-call. Woman in groups will not be harassed. A woman on her own may be followed, touched, and embarassed by the attention she gets.
I know that I'm not opposed to darker men in general (in fact, bring on the brown skin, yum) but I dont like it when they'd follow me down the street with flowers or keep harassing me to the point where it fealt uncomfortable. That said, the majority of them were harmless and just annoying. I probably found it more annoying then your average white girl because understanding Arab culture and understanding what their lack of respect for me implied(that I was not a good Arab/Muslim woman, rather a Western Slut) it might have bothered me more.
It does happen. And for some woman it sucks. If you wear a hijab people will assume you're Muslim.
When I wore a hijab I never once got cat called. Not once.
Take it or leave it, wear it or dont. It dosent matter to me. But those are just the raw facts.

Hijab or not you will still have a good time. The majority of Moroccans are fantastic, loving, people. The only people I ever had a problem with were the 15-22 set crowd of boys. And most of them are tall and skinny...one good solid punch can generally lay them flat.

homeschool, as somebody who has traveled for many years throughout both Morocco and Egypt, the best advice i can give you is this:

while it certainly isn't a necessity, isn't required, and many times even noticed (in bigger cities, anyways), you will certainly get a lot of respect from the locals in smaller cities, particularly in tribal areas. i took my girlfriend to Morocco with me a couple of times, and each time, on her own, she opted to wear a hijab and very conservative clothing when visiting smaller towns, as well as when visiting a tribal Berber family that i know. in all instances, she was complimented repeatedly, and the local women opened up to her much more than i've seen them open up to other women travelers who just pass through without it.

it's basically just a cultural symbol of modesty. it isn't necessarily religious, as it's found nowhere in the Qur'an (only the Hadith, of which it is disputed).

many thanks for your openess and wisdom. I will certainly like the opportunity to fit in as best as possible. happy new Year. sincerely Homeschool

homeschool, I understand your nervousness. I felt the same way before I traveled to Morocco and Egypt, as a woman going solo. I had no problems, but even when I was there, I ran into young women who were so upset by the treatment they'd received that they were cutting their trip short. However, they were also dressed in typical western hot weather-wear (shorts and strappy tank tops), and that might have had a lot to do with the harassment they'd experienced. A little modesty goes a long way in conservative cultures. I'm sure I don't need to tell you that, though, since you're asking about wearing a head-scarf. I think you're already showing a great attitude and you'll be fine! I just want to try to assuage your nervousness.

I thought I'd post an example of the kind of thing I wore when I was in Morocco and Egypt (though this was taken in Mali). This is pretty much my uniform for a conservative culture and a hot climate: long-sleeve button-up blouse, over a tank or tee, and long skirt (and my hair pulled up, but that's also because of the heat!) If I have to move a lot, I'll wear the blouse with loose-fitting pants, not anything that hugs the body too much. I'm not going to win any style awards with this outfit, but it keeps me cool, I'm comfortable in it, and it seems to be modest enough to earn me some respect. Also, I did *not* wear the hijab, but after reading Indiana Josh's comments, I wish I'd tried it.