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Former University of Auckland lecturer Paul Buchanan is shrugging off emailed death threats received after his dismissal for using intemperate language in refusing an Arab student's request for an extension on an assignment.
The controversy surrounding the sacking of Dr Buchanan has spread far beyond New Zealand, with angry letters to newspapers in the student's home country, the United Arab Emirates, and several fiery postings by bloggers.
Yesterday, Dr Buchanan confirmed he had received death threats, but said he was not taking them seriously.
Dr Buchanan, who has worked as an adviser on matters of political risk and security concerns for several US government agencies, said if he felt a personal threat was imminent he would enhance his personal security and contact the authorities.
"Right now it's a lot of hot air and people blowing off steam against me. I have become a bit of a poster child in some places in the Middle East for anti-Arab sentiment in far-off places, and nothing could be farther from the truth.
"My background is such that I have been involved with real conflicts ... and what I have learned over the years is that talk is very cheap.
"So I'm not seeing in any of this anything that would indicate to me a serious level of threat. On the other hand, I don't plan on visiting Dubai any time soon."
