The 2003 Approximation - S9-E4
Factual error: Sheldon tries to pretend that it is 2003, before he met Leonard. But in the episode The 21 Second Excitation S4 E8 it was stated Leonard and Sheldon waited in line for 14 hours to see the midnight premiere of Star Trek: Nemesis. Star Trek: Nemesis premiered on the 9th of December 2002.
Answer: Because Raj's selective mutism seems to be caused by women that Raj sees (on some sort of conscious or subconscious level) as a potential sexual partner. An attribute that wouldn't apply to either his sister or mother.