Taghut

Taghut (Arabic: طاغوت, ṭāġūt; pl. ṭawāġīt (طواغيت); broadly: "to go beyond the measure") is Islamic terminology denoting the worship of another deity besides God. In traditional theology, the term often connotes idols or demons drawn to blood of pagan sacrifices. They appear wherever a person has been murdered. The pre-Islamic deities al-Lāt and al-ʿUzzā, later also Satan, are associated with that term. In modern times, the term is also applied to earthly tyrannical power. The modern Islamic philosopher Abul A'la Maududi defines taghut in his Quranic commentary as a creature who not only rebels against God but transgresses his will. Due to these associations, in contemporary political discourse, the term is used to refer to people considered anti-Islamic and agent of Western cultural imperialism. The term was introduced to modern political discourse since the usage surrounding Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini during the 1979 Iranian Revolution, through accusations made both by and against Khomeini.