SOMERSET, Pa. -- Opponents of the proposed United Airlines Flight 93 memorial yesterday presented a petition with more than 5,000 signatures of people who believe the design contains Islamic symbols and should be scrapped.

But family members of Flight 93's passengers -- who seized the plane from terrorists before it crashed into a field in Shanksville on Sept. 11, 2001 -- expressed bafflement at those complaints during a public meeting at the Somerset County Courthouse.

"Such hate. I'm shocked," said Sandy Felt, of New Jersey, whose husband, Edward P. Felt, died on the flight. "When you insult the place and you inflame events, you're hurting us. And I want you to know about our pain."

The controversy has continued to build since 2005, when the Flight 93 Advisory Commission announced the selection of "Crescent of Embrace," a memorial design from Paul Murdoch Architects of Los Angles that included a crescent of maple trees around the crash site.

Critics panned the use of the shape, alleging that it was a monument to the religion of the four hijackers on the plane.

Alec Rawls, an Internet blogger, also suggested that a planned tower resembled an "Islamic sundial" that would cast a shadow signaling the start of Muslims' afternoon prayers. And the crescent shape, the critics said, was oriented toward Mecca, the Muslim holy city.

The National Park Service, which will manage the memorial, has denied all those claims. But the crescent has since been changed to more of a circle, and the name was dropped.

Still, some at yesterday's meeting demanded more changes.

"They believe there is no place for Islamic symbolism or anything else that elevates the memory of the terrorists," said Harry Beam, of Johnstown, who presented a stack of petitions to the commission. "The current design of the memorial is unacceptable."

One of the most vocal detractors is Tom Burnett Sr., of Northfield, Minn., whose son died on Flight 93.

But most family members back the design and express disgust at the tenor of the opposition.

"I don't get it. I really don't get it," said Christine Fraser, of New Jersey, whose sister died.

Commission members said the petition wouldn't have any impact on the memorial's construction schedule.

Most of the signatures came from the Internet, and Beverly Macy, who works for the project's capital campaign, questioned their validity.

"This has been years in the making," she said of the memorial.

"The design process was vetted and very thoughtful."

The first phase of the project is scheduled to be finished in 2011, in time for the 10-year anniversary of the terrorist attacks. About 40 percent of the memorial will be completed by then, at a cost of about $22.5 million. That will include the "bowl" that surrounds the crash site.

In 2004, the total cost was set at $58 million, but construction costs have been rising at about 6 percent per year, said Joanne Hanley, a National Park Service superintendent.

Officials haven't determined the final price tag.

The capital campaign has raised $12.5 million of private money to date, according to the commission. Congress has appropriated $10 million for land acquisition.