> I keep seeing people repeating this meme everywhere, but I've yet to figure out why it's actually relevant

Maybe because the EO explicitly refers to 9/11 not once, not twice but three times.

The ban itself isn't relevant to it supposed goal.

Between 1975 through 2015, 17 foreign-born folks from these nations were convicted of carrying out or attempting to carry out a terrorist attack on U.S. soil and they killed zero people. Zero Libyans or Syrians intended to carry out an attack on U.S. soil during this time.[1]

It's all bullshit.

[1] - https://www.cato.org/blog/guide-trumps-executive-order-limit...

None of the post-9/11 terrorists in the United States came from any of the targeted countries (and none were refugees) either. Both the 9/11 terrorists and the few non-domestic Muslim post-9/11 terrorists that actually carried out attacks were non-refugees from countries not covered by the order.

The Iranian Revolution was 37 years ago. What's your point?

Because the EO specifically cites 9/11 and terrorist attacks as justification for this ban.