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Scholars appeal to Iranian president about burial of American researcher

Iran Materials 21 April 2014 13:40 (UTC +04:00)
Some 230 Iranian university professors asked President Hassan Rouhani to prepare for U.S. scholar, Richard Frye’s planned burial in the country’s central city of Esfahan.
Scholars appeal to Iranian president about burial of American researcher

Baku, Azerbaijan, April 21

By Umid Niayesh - Trend:

Some 230 Iranian university professors asked President Hassan Rouhani to prepare for U.S. scholar, Richard Frye's planned burial in the country's central city of Esfahan.

The delay in the burial will lead to negative consequences for Iran's national interests and its cultural in the world, the scholars addressed Rouhani in a letter, Iranian ISNA news agency reported on April 20.

Richard Frye, a Harvard professor who dedicated his career to studying Iran's ancient culture and language, died last month in Boston at 94 and his body is waiting to be transferred to Iran.

In his will, Frye had asked to be interred at a mausoleum on the banks of the Zayandeh River in Esfahan.

The burial of Frye remains in limbo amid a backlash from some Iranian hardliners, which accused the scholar of being a CIA spy.

On April 16, Iranian media outlets quoted director of the Center for the Great Islamic Encyclopedia, a Tehran-based research institute on Iranian and Islamic culture, Kazem Mousavi Bojnourdi as saying he had yet to receive responses to letters sent to Iran's president, foreign minister and the local officials in Esfahan regarding Frye's request.

Mousavi Bojnourdi, whom Frye had personally asked to execute his will, also said that he has asked Supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's advisor, Ali Akbar Velayati to inform if the leader disagrees with burial of the body in Iran.

Edited by C.N.

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