I suspect that it's a cultural thing. In many of these areas authority and tradition are not to be questioned, or made light of. I admit that it's a hard thing for Westerners to understand. We take for granted that anything and everything can be doubted, criticized, questioned or parodied for their inconsistencies or hypocrisy. It seems to me that the cultural traditions (religious, political, social, etc.) are "sacred cows" and are not to ever be treated with anything other than reverence and blind acceptance. I confess that such a view is foreign to me (pardon the pun). But as an outside observer, it does seem strange that the powers that be are so easily rustled by someone making what is clearly (at least to me) a joke.