According to recent data from the UN, the number of global refugees as of 2025 is estimated to be 120 million people who consist of individuals internally displaced within their own countries, or forced to flee their homes due to conflict, persecution, and human rights violations.
Somali-British poet Warsan Shire, in her famously-quoted poem ‘Home’ about the refugee experience, writes “you have to understand, that no one puts their children in a boat unless the water is safer than the land…”
With increasing conflict across the world, and a hyper-polarized global political landscape that weaponizes the immigrant, asylum-seeker, and refugee experience for debate fodder, there is a need for more empathy and understanding of the incredible bravery and hardship involved in the decision to flee one’s home.
For global pop star Shab, this issue is personal to her. She and her family fled radical fundamentalism in Iran, embarking on a transformative journey to the United States where she was able to rebuild her life. Today, coinciding with the release of her highly-anticipated sophomore album ‘One Suitcase’, Shab also proudly announced her new role as an ambassador for Choose Love – a UK-based charity dedicated to supporting refugees worldwide.
Started back in 2015 when a group of friends began collecting donations for refugees in Calais, Choose Love does whatever it takes to provide refugees and displaced people with everything from lifesaving search and rescue boats to food and legal advice. They elevate the voices and visibility of refugees and galvanize public support for agile community organizations providing vital support to refugees along migration routes globally.
Shab’s personal history aligns perfectly with Choose Love’s mission, making her a compelling and authentic voice for the organization. The story behind her new album’s title gives insight into her own experience, painting a vivid image of the reality of being a refugee. As a young girl, she arrived in New York City completely alone, the last of her 13 brothers and sisters to escape Iran, not knowing any English and holding a single suitcase.
Shab’s story is about rising from unimaginable hardship to global stardom. She is now a leading entertainment industry voice for women’s rights in Iran and in bold defiance of what she has labelled ‘the gangster regime’ in Tehran. She recorded a personal message to her fellow Iranians in June in light of recent events, sharing solidarity with their struggle.
Whilst standing for female empowerment and for the women of Iran Shab will continue to raise awareness for Choose Love, and in a powerful show of support for the refugee cause, she will donate all profits from One Suitcase, to Choose Love.
“When we choose to shelter the homeless and feed the hungry, such acts fulfill directives that cross both cultures and religions…To be a refugee is to carry the weight of loss, but also the strength of survival,” she said in a press statement about her new ambassadorship with Choose Love, adding what a privilege it is to represent a movement that believes in “compassion without borders”.
We had the chance to speak with the refugee turned global pop star about her new ambassadorship, and being a voice for empowerment through her music today.
Your role as ambassador for Choose Love has come at a very important time in the world when we are seeing more attacks on refugees due to increasing political instability and climate change. Why did you want to join this charity and be a spokesperson for them?
For myself I do not see this as a partisan political issue. We have millions of displaced people worldwide who have basic human needs but lack access to resources. I know first-hand the difficulties that are faced by refugees and immigrants when they venture to foreign lands and cultures.
It matters not to me whether refugees have traveled by legal or illegal avenues, as they will perish without our interventions.
When my London publicity firm, Fifth Element, approached me eighteen months ago about possible ties with Choose Love, I quickly was impressed with this organization’s work and wanted to use my Persian-American refugee voice to broadcast the plight of refugees worldwide.
For people who might not be familiar with the work of Choose Love, what do they advocate for, and how do they help displaced people?
Choose Love is a London-based charity overseen by some amazing young women which supports refugees and displaced people worldwide by providing transparent funding to community-based organizations.
Since its founding a decade ago, Choose Love has provided support to more than five million people across more than 30 countries with essential supplies, medical care, search and rescue operations, legal support and educational initiatives.
As a kinda cool aspect of Choose Love, it raises public awareness and galvanizes support for its work through advocacy and its signature “pop-up” stores where customers can buy essential items for refugees.
All eyes are currently on Iran, and have been over the past number of years due to the incredible activism of women in the Women Life Freedom movement. What does it mean to be a voice for women in Iran through your music, to your fans across the globe?
Interestingly, during the recent 12 Day War between Israel & Iran, my sister and her daughter were trapped in Iran at the outbreak of hostilities. We worked for a week to find a manner by which to snuggle them out of Iran, which had closed down the international frontiers.
Moreover, I hear weekly reports from my family in Iran about what is going on there – and while the Iranian government has made slight concessions in regard to civil liberties over the last two years, in reality there has been little change since the imposition of Sharia Law over 45 years ago. The authoritarian fundamentalist regime masquerades as a theocracy, but it is as obsessed with clinging to power.
It is important to me highlight for the world of the truth about this kleptocratic Gangster Regime, which in particular has kept my Persian sisters in Iran living in the Dark Ages for four decades. Western pressure on Iran will eventually convince a critical mass of people in Iran that it is the better course to risk imprisonment or death than to continue a passive stance in the insane hope that the Mullahs will modernize.
You can follow Shab on Instagram, X(Twitter), and Facebook. Subscribe to her Youtube Channel, and listen to her music on Spotify.
