I think the travel ban could serve any number of non-obvious political purposes. A show of power? A distraction from less unusual political changes? A way to get press (albeit negative)? A way to decrease overall immigration? Security theater?
Airline stewards want me to turn off my cellphone. I can't think of a good reason, but that doesn't mean I'll believe the reason they state, when it makes no sense.
The reason they usually do not tell you is that cell networks on the ground do not handle phones well that are visible in too many wide spread out cell towers.
If planes were in danger because of turned on phones they would check for them much more thoroughly and also check lugagge for turned on phones.
Airline stewards want me to turn off my cellphone. I can't think of a good reason, but that doesn't mean I'll believe the reason they state, when it makes no sense.