li ▁explained ▁that ▁the ▁ten - year - old ▁represented ▁his ▁age ▁when ▁forced ▁to ▁leave ▁Palest ine ▁and ▁would ▁not ▁grow ▁up ▁until ▁he ▁could ▁return ▁to ▁his ▁hom eland ; ▁his ▁turned ▁back ▁and ▁cl asp ed ▁hands ▁symbol ised ▁the ▁character ' s ▁re jection ▁of ▁" out side ▁solutions ". Hand ala ▁we ars ▁ra gg ed ▁clothes ▁and ▁is ▁bare foot , ▁symbol ising ▁his ▁alleg iance ▁to ▁the ▁poor . ▁In ▁later ▁cart o ons , ▁he ▁is ▁act ively ▁particip ating ▁in ▁the ▁action ▁dep icted ▁not ▁merely ▁obser ving ▁it . ▁ ▁Hand ala ▁became ▁the ▁signature ▁of ▁Naj i ▁al - A li ' s ▁cart o ons ▁and ▁remains ▁an ▁icon ic ▁symbol ▁of ▁Palest in ian ▁identity ▁and ▁def iance . ▁Hand ala ▁has ▁also ▁been ▁used ▁as ▁the ▁web ▁mas cot ▁of ▁the ▁Iran ian ▁green ▁movement . ▁Al - A li ▁remarked ▁that ▁" He ▁was ▁the ▁arrow ▁of ▁the ▁comp ass , ▁pointing ▁stead ily ▁towards ▁Palest ine . ▁Not ▁just ▁Palest ine ▁in ▁ge ographical ▁terms , ▁but ▁Palest ine ▁in ▁its ▁human itar ian ▁sense — the ▁symbol ▁of ▁a ▁just ▁cause , ▁whether ▁it ▁is ▁located ▁in ▁Egypt , ▁Vietnam ▁or ▁South ▁Africa ." ▁ ▁Creating ▁the ▁m ural ▁▁ ▁Art ist ▁Jonathan ▁K is - Le v ▁first ▁spoke ▁about ▁creating ▁the ▁m ural ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁while ▁studying ▁in ▁a ▁United ▁World ▁College ▁for ▁peace ▁in ▁Canada . ▁He ▁explained