TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — An Iranian news agency says dozens of people have protested against the expected burial of an American scholar in the country’s historic city of Isfahan.

The semi-official Fars news agency reported Thursday that Richard Frye, who founded Harvard’s Center for Middle Eastern Studies, had wished to be buried next to the Zayandeh River in Isfahan, some 340 kilometers (210 miles) south of the capital, Tehran. It says former hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad approved Frye’s request in September 2007.

Despite that, Fars says dozens protested Thursday against Frye’s expected burial. Fars quoted Mohammad Taghi Rahbar, a lawmaker and local Friday prayer leader, as saying Iran should not allow “Western garbage” to be buried in Isfahan.