This is an important point. On the one hand most Masons want to encourage masonry across the world. On the other hand not at the expense of making brothers criminals.
It goes far beyond that, when a man in this part of the world decides to become a Mason, they are radically changing their life, and it has ripple impacts on their family, and community. Even if the country allows Freemasonry, generally the lodges meet in secret for fear of community persecution. Unless you live there, you have no idea how close everyone is, and the fact is that Freemasonry in Iran soured the region on the concept, and the raise of radical Islam in the 50s and 60s really cements the idea that it is a Jewish conspiracy.
When a national citizen makes the decision to become a Freemason in the middle east and southwest asia, they put far more at risk than any American can possibly fathom, with our fish fries and pancake breakfasts.
So it goes far beyond a rule of law issue.
S&F,
-Bro Vick