Journalist Mona Eltahawy, who is Egyptian-American, has written extensively about women's rights, Arab-West relations, and her own experiences. She included a moving account of her marriage in one of her works, which sheds light on the difficulties of interpersonal relationships.

Before 9/11, when many people around the world were full of hope and promise, Eltahawy lived in New York City, where she met her American husband. At a time when international ties were more crucial than ever, their relationship appeared to be a bridge bridging two cultures: an Egyptian woman and an American man.

But as Eltahawy explains, there were serious issues in their marriage that had nothing to do with religious or cultural differences. She explains how, even in relationships between people from similar backgrounds, they ended up bringing out the worst in one another. This mutual animosity stemmed from personal problems and miscommunications rather than political or ideological disagreements.

Eltahawy made the decision to dissolve her marriage following the 9/11 attacks, which had a significant impact on both their lives and the wider world. Their relationship dynamics played a larger role in the decision than any wider national or cultural differences that some might have thought played a role.

They went back to New York City together for a friend's engagement party before she formally broke up with him. They traveled to Ground Zero, the location of the former World Trade Center, which now stands as a somber reminder of destruction and reconstruction. This trip gave them the opportunity to consider their own individual journeys together in addition to seeing a location of great historical significance.

The tale of Eltahawy resembles an iceberg drifting through rough seas. Eltahawy's marriage and subsequent divorce were characterized by obvious difficulties as well as underlying problems that were mostly hidden until it was too late, much like the tip of an iceberg is visible above the water while the majority of its bulk is hidden beneath.

Mona Eltahawy provides a nuanced perspective on relationships through her story, highlighting the fact that individual dynamics, rather than broader cultural or national divides, frequently determine whether marriages succeed or fail. Her experience serves as a reminder of how critical it is to recognize and address the unique complexities of interpersonal relationships.