This oral history interview with Abdulah Polovina was conducted by Elizabeth Mehren and Sankar Raman on January 7, 2019. The interview was recorded for The Immigrant Story, an organization that documents and archives the stories of immigrants and refugees in the United States.

In this interview, Polvina discusses his experiences as a Muslim in Bosnia during the Yugoslav Wars. He talks about the history of Muslims, and of genocide against Muslims, in the region, and about politics in Yugoslavia leading up to the wars. He speaks at length about his Islamic faith, about his early life and education in Bosnia, and about changing his name to Abdulah. He talks about his marriage to his wife, Hatidza, about being separated while he served in the war, and about his reasons for leaving Bosnia for Seattle, Washington, in 2001. He talks about his experience as the first Muslim student at Seattle University’s School of Theology and Ministry, and about his experience serving as imam at a mosque in Portland, Oregon. He closes the interview by talking about the Portland Muslim community, and reflecting on the experiences of Bosnian Muslims during the war.