[disclaimer: I dont support either side in this conflict or in general any conflict in the world conducted under the name of religion ]

But the reasoning behind this kind of behaviour of people is motivated by a different aspect. Here the "Intent" of the criticism\insulting words hurled at the symbols of worship are really taken as an attack on the people rather than the gods themself. The Intent of the insult is the key here and getting angry by it something deeply ingrained in our evolutionary biolgy.

Think of it this way: It is common for people in some countries to chew Paan(beetle leaf)\ chewing gum etc. and spit on the land. That mostly wont upset many people. But if someone spits on the map of a country , it will be taken as an intentional action to hurt. Here the map is virtual vs the real land of a country. You can see the fallacy.