I live in Paris and tourists/foreigners are pretty much everywhere :P I try to be as open-minded as possible and treat them the way I like to be treated when I go abroad. But I think you should learn about the culture/customs of a country before going there and if you're not willing to respect them (by wearing a hijab in the case you mentioned) it might be better to stay at home or choose another destination.

I've traveled quite a bit and I think that in most places around the world, people are pretty friendly and open to foreigners, especially if the visitor is making an effort to speak the local language. I am very helpful to foreign visitors and I believe most Americans would be. I would like to think that the vast majority of Americans would be more tolerant and understanding to visitors from other countries than the Libyans were to your friend. Of course, some Americans have a tendency to "close their ears" when they hear a foreign accent and this is simply due to lack of exposure to people from other lands. I should mention that I have not visited an Arab country and have no desire to do so. If I were somehow stuck in a place like Saudi Arabia, one of the hottest climates in the world, where women are expected to cover themselves in black while the men wear white, I'd have to start a revolution. My American attitude is as follows: Who in their right mind would wear black under the hot sun?

Australia is a multicultural nation, so we see people from all over the world in different types of clothes and hear many different languages spoken on the street. Unless we see obvious, big groups of tourists, it is not clear who is 'foreign' or not. If I travel overseas, I respect their customs.

Why did they not find out about life there before they went there?

Your friend should have been aware, or forewarned (by a travel agent?), that visiting middle eastern countries at this time is not a casual adventure. The "Arab Spring" has has created a volatile atmosphere in countries like Libya, where travel -- if attempted at all -- should be done with knowledgeable guides. And with all due respect to Mr. Rashwan (above), news reports and video out of Egypt now do not inspire me to drop in there anytime soon. I have traveled to China, Vietnam, Japan, Russia, Germany, and ... your own beautiful country, Belarus (the homeland of my grandparents). I travel alone, mostly, but at times have used local guides in some situations. I think the treatment I received in all those countries far exceeded my expectations. I may have a slight "ugly American" complex, feeling the US has a bad image abroad in many places. But I as walked city streets by myself -- taking pictures, sampling local food, asking for directions -- I have invariably been treated with respect and often with warmth and kindness. (Maybe it's my radiant personality :) I will tell you that my week in Minsk in 2010 far exceed my expectations. If you would like to hear more about my perceptions before and after my visit, let me know in a comment here. As for your question about meeting foreigners here in America, personally I would treat them they way I would want to be treated as a traveler. As long as their behavior is respectful of our laws and culture (e.g. no smoking ... anywhere!) I think they would be treated well by the vast majority of Americans.