Local Islamic leader says revised travel ban will fuel extremism

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Current visa holders and green card holders are exempt from the travel ban, but some say people still aren't happy with the approach taken by the Trump administration.

While the President's revised travel ban removes Iraq from the list of impacted countries, a local Islamic leader says many people still aren't happy with the approach taken by the Trump administration.

The travel ban has been the talk of the Valley's Middle Eastern and African communities.

Imam Seyed Ali Ghazvini of the Islamic Cultural Center of Fresno was encouraged to hear Iraq was now exempt.

"I noticed Iraq is not on the list, which is actually a good thing to know," he said. "I was born in Iraq, so this makes me happy."

Ghazvini is Iranian-American, but he's not happy people from the six other predominantly Muslim countries still face a travel ban.

"Three of these nations are state sponsors of terrorism," US Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. "The other three have served as safe havens for terrorist countries, countries where governments have lost control of their territory to terrorist groups like ISIL or Al Qaeda and its affiliates."

"This increases the risk that people are admitted here from these countries may belong to terrorist groups or may have been radicalized by them."

Ghazvini though sees it much differently.

"We believe this executive order actually will help Isis and will help the extremists," he said.

He explained the Trump administration's travel ban does not differentiate between moderate or extremist Muslims.

"This is actually helping the rhetoric of the extremists," he said. "It falls in the propaganda of the extremists."

Ghazvini recently visited Iraq and was concerned with his return - even as a US citizen - but did not face any delays.