[1CAVCCO15MED]

Initial Response to Allegations of Purported Islamic Symbology

All of the partners agreed that the design does not imply or depict any religious iconography. The winning designer team, Paul Murdoch Architects with Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects, has stated repeatedly that the memorial is reflective of the landform, which follows the surrounding ridgeline, and intends to symbolically embrace the topography to point your attention to the true memorial – the sacred ground where the heroes of Flight 93 rest today. Indeed, the sacred ground – the cemetery where the plane crashed and where remains still lie today – is the focus and the purpose of the memorial. The circular landform provides “sideboards,” an “embrace,” and a focus to point your direction toward the sacred ground.

The design uses the existing topography; it does alter it to fit some perceived icon or symbol. The natural topography is a circular bowl, the ends of which point towards the crash site. National Park Service design and construction projects always strive towards blending in with the natural environment; this project is exemplary in its attempt to work within the existing conditions. The project partners acted on the principle that the intent of the designer is in response to the landform and to the mission statement.

Neither Mr. Murdoch nor the many others involved in the process wished to have any perceived symbology blemish the intent and the focus of the memorial design. As part of the evolving design process, and in response to the second jury’s instructions, the design team explored several refinements to the design, which included negating any perceptions relating to Islamic symbolism. These refinements are completed. The perceived crescent shape was extended more completely into a circle to alleviate misinterpretation of the site plan graphic. The circle is symbolically broken in two places – the flight path of the plane as it enters the “bowl” topography, and the crash site itself. The entire design is referred to as “The Flight 93 National Memorial.”

These refinements to the design responded to and satisfied many of the initial outspoken skeptics who read Mr. Rawls’ initial blog, including Congressman Tom Tancredo, Colorado, and Reverend Ron McRae, Holshopple, PA. Philadelphia radio talk show host Michael Smercomish, kept an open mind and brought a bus of his listeners to the site; they were transformed from critics to supporters following the trip.