You may not perhaps know that in connection with all
National Assemblies the Guardian is advising that rules and regulations should
not be multiplied and new statements on "procedure" issued; we should
be elastic in details and rigid in principles; consequently he does not want
your Assembly to issue statements of a binding nature unless absolutely
necessary. In this connection he will answer your questions about sanctions: …
it is only those who have been spiritually excommunicated by the Guardian with
whom the believers are forbidden to associate, and not a person who is being
punished by being deprived of his voting rights. As contributions to Bahá'í
Funds are used to support the administration of the Faith, they should not be
accepted from those who are deprived of their voting rights; but such believers
should not be prevented from being buried in a Bahá'í Cemetery or receiving
charity — which we even give to non-Bahá'ís."
- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter written on
behalf of Shoghi Effendi, 8 May 1947 to the National Spiritual Assembly of
India, Pakistan, and Burma, published in "Dawn of a New Day"; The
Compilation of Compilations, vol. I, Baha’i Funds and Contributions)
