Dr Raymond Richards has previously made the news in 2010, for a book he authored on Sir Geoffrey Palmer.

A Waikato University lecturer is sticking to his guns over a remark on Facebook that some have branded anti-Islam.

Dr Raymond Richards, who works in the history department, created waves after a post on a Z Energy Facebook page, in which he declared: "Who needs employees if they stop work five times per day to talk to an imaginary being?"

The post attracted criticism from others posting on the Facebook page, with some saying it was racially insensitive. One person lodged a complaint with Richards' employer, the university, and this in turn prompted media coverage of the fracas - coverage which Richards claims has misrepresented his intent and undermines his intelligence.

Because his remark was made under a photograph of a Sikh Z employee, some of Richards' detractors had assumed that he had mistaken the man depicted as a Muslim - however, this was not the case, he said.

In response to inquiries from Stuff, Richards said earlier coverage of his remarks in other media did not give an accurate picture of the message he was trying to get across.

"I did not confuse Sikh and Muslim. My comment was on the original post, which was about diversity, not on the photo.

"I did not advise discriminating on the basis of religion. I asked if employers would want to hire someone who stops work five times per day to talk to an imaginary friend."

Richards said he had deleted his Facebook comment himself, "because I do not want extremists coming after me".

That fear may be well founded. In 1998, the university hired a security guard to protect Richards while he was on campus after two death threats were made against him following a lecture he gave on the Mormon Church's history of violence and polygamy.

Richards also took to his own Facebook page on Sunday to clarify his earlier comments to a reporter about the Z Energy page post.

"I told her my comments on Facebook are made as a private individual, not as a representative of the university, that I stand by the comments, and that NZ is a free country" he wrote.

That post also spurred much ensuing debate.

In response to inquiries, the university's communications and external relations director Alice Clements produced a short statement:

"The University of Waikato does not condone language or actions that perpetuate hate, discrimination or harmful stereotypes. We are an institution that values diversity and have clear expectations of staff conduct. We will be examining this matter carefully."