TEHRAN, Iran — The body of Richard Nelson Frye, the most famous American Iranologist of the past few decades, is still in the morgue. His family is waiting for President Hassan Rouhani’s administration to issue a permission allowing Frye’s body to be buried in the city of Esfahan, the historic city in central Iran, in accordance with Frye’s will. It appears, however, that his burial has given the radicals in Tehran an excuse to restart their anti-West and anti-American campaign.

Last week, Ahmad Salek, the member of parliament (MP) from Esfahan, insulted the Iranologist and called on the president not to let him be buried in Esfahan. He said, “I ask the president and the other officials not to allow the cursed body of Richard Frye, the American and CIA spy, to be buried next to the foul body of (Arthur) Pope who was an adviser to Farah Pahlavi and a dealer of antiques. People of Esfahan will not tolerate such an act and if it happens, Zayanderud (life-giving river) will turn to Morderud (river of death).”

Salek is a cleric and is also the head of the parliament's Cultural Committee. Eight other MPs, mostly from Esfahan, signed a letter addressed to Rouhani repeating Salek’s request.

They were not alone. Mohammad Taghi Rahbar, who was the representative of Esfahan in the eighth parliament, and is currently the temporary Friday prayer imam of Esfahan, also used harsh words in reference to the body of Frye and said, “I don’t know what Esfahan did to deserve this. Why are the officials trying to bury the Western garbage in the city of Esfahan and next to Zayanderud.”