I greatly value your suggestions, but I do not feel it to be
in keeping with the spirit of the Cause to impose any limitation upon the
freedom of the believers to choose those of any race, nationality or
temperament who best combine the essential qualifications for membership of
administrative institutions. They should disregard personalities and
concentrate their attention on the qualities and requirements of office,
without prejudice, passion or partiality. The Assembly should be representative
of the choicest and most varied and capable elements in every Bahá'í
community....
- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter dated 11 August 1933 to an individual
believer; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. I, Baha’i Elections)
