It was supposed to be a reform of a bad piece of legislation that not only muzzled the press but also sent journalists to jail. So say officials in the United Arab Emirates when asked about a new media law that is awaiting approval by Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the federation's president.

Much to the officials' chagrin, however, the pending law has provoked uproar. For in today's world - and particularly in a country establishing itself as a media and cultural hub - even the local press (the target of the new law) expects nothing less than freedom of speech.