Qalat inna almulooka itha dakhaloo qaryatan afsadooha wajaAAaloo aAAizzata ahliha athillatan wakathalika (surah Naml: 34)

Tafseer Tafheem-ul-Quran by Syed Abu-al-A'la Maududi

(27:34) The queen said, "When the kings enter a land, they ruin it and debase its honourable people; *39 they do just the same. *40

Qaalat innal mulooka izaa dakhaloo qaryatan afsadoohaa wa ja`alooo a`izzata ahlihaaa azillah; wa kazaalika yaf`aloon

*39) In this one sentence a thorough criticism has been made of imperialism. The kings' invasion of the other countries and the victorious nations' violence against the oppressed nations has never been for the sake of reform and goodwill. 'fire object has been to control and exploit the means and resources of sustenance granted to the other nation by God, and make it so helpless that it should never be able to rise in resistance and demand its share. For this purpose they block up all it, means of prosperity, power and honour, crush down aII selfrespecting elements, instil in its members attitudes of slavery, flattery, treachery and spying against one another, imitation of the conqueror and respect for his civilization, contempt of their own civilization and other such mean qualities of character. Thus, gradually they bring them down to such a low level of character where they may not hesitate even to sell off any of their most sacred objects of heritage and be ready to perform any wretched service on payment.
*40) This sentence has two meanings and both are equally probable: 1 1) It may be a part of the queen of Sheba's speech, which she might have added in order to emphasize her foregoing words; and (2) it may be Allah's words which have been added as a parenthesis in support of the queen's speech.