Banned countries have no terror link in US, critics say
Critics are pointing out that Donald Trump's immigration restriction has excluded countries where citizens have terrorism records in the US.
On the other hand, the seven countries facing the ban have been appeared to have no nationals linked to terrorism in the US.
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They are even arguing that the exclusion was made to safeguard Trump's business interests in the Middle East.
"There is really no rational basis for this ban," said CNN's Fareed Zakaria as he finds zero number of individuals of the seven Muslim majority countries liked to terror attacks on US soil from 1975 to 2015.
Trump's White House is facing multiple lawsuits and worldwide severe criticism over the order banning migrants from seven Muslim nations.
The seven countries which were affected by the 90-day US entry ban are: Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Yemen and Somalia.
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The move unleashed a wave of alarm on Saturday (January 28) with Trump's order to temporarily halt all refugee arrivals and impose tough controls on travellers from seven Muslim countries, including war-wracked Syria, to give preference to religious minorities.
In a scathing critique of Trump's travel ban on his show, "GPS," on Sunday, Zakaria termed the refugees and foreign nationals affected by the order the "roadkill of Trump's posturing."
As to how these particular countries were chosen, Zakaria said it was "truly mysterious," before observing that "none of the Muslim majority countries that have a Trump hotel, building or office are on the list."
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According to AFP, Trump immigration ban list excludes Egypt, Saudi Arabia and UAE, the countries Trump has disclosed business links.
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"There is really no rational basis for this ban," Zakaria said, before adding that it could only be explained by looking at what he considered to be the hallmark of Trump's political career: "the exploitation of fear."
"From the birther campaign to the talk of Mexican rapists, Trump has always trafficked in fear mongering," Zakaria said.
To "present himself as the country's protector," Trump had chosen to "punish ordinary men, women and children who are fleeing terrorism and violence," Zakaria said.
"These people are the roadkill of Trump's posturing," he added.
"The image, reputation and goodwill of the United States of America as the beacon of the world" was destroyed by the executive order, Zakaria said.
"Donald Trump seems to want to turn off that lamp on the Statue of Liberty."
Exclusion of Saudi Arabia, Egypt with terror links in US
In her opinion 'Saudi Arabia and Egypt are excluded from Trump's ban. Why?' published in The Guardian yesterday, Aryeh Neier, an American human rights campaigner, tried to find out the reason why the several other countries including Saudi Arabia and Egypt were excluded from the ban list.
"Does Trump shy away from offending Saudi Arabia because he has business dealings with wealthy Saudis? Or because he expects them to curry favor by patronizing his new hotel in Washington? We don't know. By refusing to release his tax returns and by refusing to divest himself of his businesses, he raises such questions," she said.
"Was Egypt omitted because Trump is developing a warm relationship with the country's brutal dictator, General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi? Again, we don't know."
The immigration ban "highlights the arbitrariness of barring all those from some countries whose nationals have had no part in terrorism in the US," she said.
Meanwhile, United Nations human rights chief Zeid bin Ra'ad Zeid al-Hussein yesterday said that the travel ban on citizens from mainly the Muslim countries is illegal and "mean-spirited".
In a tweet Zeid said, "discrimination on nationality alone is forbidden under human rights law", adding that "the US ban is also mean-spirited and wastes resources needed for proper counter-terrorism."