'Trump visa ban to fuel violence, serve extremists'

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) said on Monday that U.S. President Donald Trump's temporary ban on travel to the United States from seven majority-Muslim countries harmed the common struggle against radicalism.

"Such selective and discriminatory acts will only serve to embolden the radical narratives of extremists," the group said in a statement on its website.

"(The move) will provide further fuel to the advocates of violence and terrorism at a critical time when the OIC has been engaged with all partners, including the U.S., to combat extremism and terrorism in all their forms and manifestations."

The statement came just days after the new Republican president ordered a 90-day ban on the entry of citizens from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. The measure, which led to demonstrations inside the US, also suspended entry of all refugees for 120 days and barred Syrian refugees indefinitely.

The ban has sparked huge international criticism from the UN chief and several countries, including European ones as well as Muslim nations.  

During his election campaign, Trump was repeatedly blasted for his hate rhetoric against Muslims as he vowed to tighten US immigration policies, including a complete ban on Muslim immigrants from entering the States. He had also promised to strengthen border security.  

Many have criticized the retroactive nature of the travel ban, arguing it affects many who have legally made their way into the US. 

Trump fires acting attorney general 

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump fired the federal government's top lawyer Sally Yates on Monday after she took the extraordinarily rare step of defying the White House and saying the Justice Department would not defend his new travel restrictions targeting seven Muslim-majority nations.

The White House said on Twitter that Dana Boente, US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, would replace Yates, an appointee of former Democratic President Barack Obama, as acting US attorney general.

"The acting Attorney General, Sally Yates, has betrayed the Department of Justice by refusing to enforce a legal order designed to protect the citizens of the United States," the White House said in its statement.

Yates on Monday told Justice Department lawyers in a letter that they would not defend in court Trump's directive that put a 120-day hold on allowing refugees into the country, an indefinite ban on refugees from Syria and a 90-day bar on citizens from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

Yates said she did not believe defending the order would be "consistent with this institution's solemn obligation to always seek justice and stand for what is right."

Muslim ban 'illegal' : UN

The United Nations have denounced the Muslim ban as "mean spirited", and said it was forbidden under international human rights law.

The UN's Human Rights chief, Zeid Ra'ad al Hussein said: "Discrimination on nationality alone is forbidden under human rights law.