Dr Louise Richardson, the principal of St Andrews University is being heavily criticized with online hate mails from anti-abortion campaigners following the decision to award Hillary Clinton an honorary degree.

The former First Lady of the United States of America who supports abortion will receive the degree next week.

"When history is written you will see that giving a degree to Mrs Clinton will be like honouring Adolf Hitler for ridding Germany of Jews and Mao Tse Tung for turning China's fields into factories and killing millions," Professor AP O'Beachain said.

London-based Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC), initiated the campaign.

"Mrs Clinton's promotion of abortion is contrary to education, human rights, democracy, civil society and promoting opportunities for females around the world," SPUC's director, John Smeaton said.

Clinton is scheduled to visit the campus Sept. 13 and 14 to mark the university's 600th anniversary. The former U.S. Secretary of State will be receiving the degree for campaigning for education, human rights, democracy, civil society and promoting opportunities for females around the world.

"As a university, we stand for freedom of thought, freedom of expression and a willingness to listen to and learn from the views of all. It's in our DNA. By the same measure, we are intrinsically immune to intimidation and intolerance," a spokesman for St Andrews University said.

"We've had an unprecedented response from thousands of people who want to attend or witness our 600th anniversary graduation ceremony where Secretary Clinton, the Right Reverend Dr Rowan Williams, Professor Sir Tim-Berners Lee and Professor Judith Butler are among 18 prominent intellectuals who will be awarded honorary degrees."

"I would say you are fools for having anyone who has such a hard core leftist agenda speak at your college. This woman has no conscience," an American pro-lifer stated.

"I believe it is intrinsically evil to destroy life in the womb. For social convenience it happens so often. It's a travesty of human justice that this woman is being offered a humanitarian award," Brendan Dawson, 68, from Newcastle said.

Topics Abortion, University, Clinton, Award, Online