Words by Abi Scaife
The refugee experience has been all across the media lately - and not always in the most positive light.
The plight of people who are fleeing the worst of circumstances has been turned into something wholly political; but at the end of the day, these are human beings, and they deserve kindness, respect and dignity, the same as anyone.
In honour of World Refugee Day 2024, Smiley News caught up with Iranian refugee turned singer-songwriter Shab, to hear more about her experiences.
Born during the revolution, Shab lived in Iran until, at the age of eight, she fled through Türkiye and Germany to America. With nothing but the clothes on her back and a single suitcase, holding all her worldly possessions, she was separated from her widowed mother and her siblings.
“After my father passed away during the revolution, they burned his factory down,” explains Shab, whose father died when she was only six months old. He left behind Shab’s mother and thirteen children. ”The future was uncertain - our assets were frozen. We had to restart everything.”
Shab tells the story of her childhood - intensely happy moments of a loving family almost interspersed with memories of hearing bombs falling and living in a place of terror. Without her father, Shab’s family was struggling, and her mother knew they needed to escape.
“My brothers and sisters were always there [to] protect me,” says Shab, of when she was younger. “Then they left for Germany.”
Shab was separated from many of her siblings when they left for Europe, leaving her behind with her mother, and one other sister. The three of them did their best to get by, but it was difficult for the family to be separated - and was especially hard on Shab’s mother.
Meanwhile, at school, Shab was growing incredibly frustrated with the rules she had to obey, including covering her hair and body, even though she was just seven at the time. Every day, she would come home from school and rip off her head covering - and even threatened to burn it when they finally escaped (something which she would indeed do, later on).
“I'm like ‘Mom, I'm tired of wearing this, I'm seven years old! Who's gonna look at me?’” Shab laughs at the memory, before becoming more serious. “‘I don't even have boobs!’ It’s not fair for anybody, but especially the kids.”
Shab spent a year in Türkiye before she moved on to Germany. She speaks fondly of the countries that enabled her escape; even though she was a scared child, and a refugee, the kindness of those around her eased a difficult journey.
“They did know that I was a refugee, and they treated me with so much love and respect.”
By the time Shab reached Germany, many of her other siblings had already moved on to America. She attended boarding school with her sister as her guardian, learned German, and began to create a life there. She was in Germany without her mother and other siblings for almost four years.
“No dad, no mom there, but my sister. She was amazing. She was my guardian. She made me strong, and I made her strong,” says Shab. “But it's hard; I grew up really fast. I had to.”
“You have to grow up overnight.”
Eventually, Shab moved to America, where her mother and other siblings were waiting. She knew only Farsi and German, and worked multiple jobs to get her and her family by.
The experience of being a refugee - of living in a dangerous place escaping, leaving behind her home and loved ones - has changed Shab forever.
“I think that fear of losing it all … I've already had that,” she admits. “When the bombs were coming down. You hear the siren, you hear the planes … and then you're under the chair, hiding.”
Shab’s time as a refugee has been a huge influence on her and her feelings on the life of refugees. She now teaches her children about the life she led, and works tirelessly to raise awareness of those who are struggling as she did as a child.
Shab also speaks openly about the lack of gender equality in her home country, with women suffering like she had to as just a child.
“Using my own journey, I wanted to highlight to others that hope is paramount: and where there lies hope, there also lies a brighter future. A new start is a new opportunity.”
Shab’s new album ‘One Suitcase’, inspired by her refugee experience, will be released in August.
To learn more about World Refugee Day 2024, visit the UNHCR website here.
To support refugees in the UK, visit the Refugee Action website.
At Smiley Movement, we like to elevate the work of charities across the world. Here are three charities whose causes align with the themes in this article.
The RNLI. The RNLI is a charity saving lives at sea through lifeboat search and rescue, lifeguards, water safety education and flood rescue. Find out more here
Migrant Help. Is a charity supporting those affected by displacement and exploitation. Support them here.
Refugee Action. This charity helps refugees build safe, hopeful and productive new lives in the UK. Learn more here.
This article aligns with the UN SDG Gender Equality and Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.
