Pious Catholic friends of mine – and their children – now lower their gaze and reverently and discreetly cross themselves when encountering in street or supermarket bearded muslims in shalwar-kameez or muslimas beshrouded like the ones in your picture. It is difficult to assess what their reaction is, of course. Till now none has given the two-finger salute back.
My friend said that their explanation – if called upon to give one by the hate-crime police – would be : Muslims aggressively assert their difference and piety by their dress as their religion commands and as the law permits; we are enjoined by our religion to show them love and respect, and this we do by protecting ourselves spiritually by the sign of the cross, and praying quietly for their conversion. (The tactic and loophole has not yet been tested in court.)
