Faith Matters - Five Friends Take Action!

Five friends, a Christian and four Muslims who call themselves the Datteltäter -- a play on words in German that roughly translates as The Date Assailants -- have created a satirical YouTube channel. Their videos focus on prejudice and religious fundamentalism. The Datteltäter parody stereotypes and ignorance, and champion co-existence, freedom, and tolerance. Younes, Farah, Nemi, Marcel and Fiete are the group’s members. Their videos have tens of thousands of fans. The five friends have set themselves a significant challenge: they want to mediate between Muslims and Christians on the Internet, where the tone is usually aggressive. Their aim is to combat prejudice - irrespective of whether it’s against Muslims, Christians, or Jews. "We are committed to the educational jihad, and oppose fear with humor,” says Fiete. Their project places them in the firing line of right-wing agitators and Muslim hardliners. Their videos attract hate commentaries - sometimes a storm of abuse. But the friends are determined to persevere. They have the support of a community of loyal fans, who have been waiting for exactly this voice. Our report provides a glimpse behind the scenes. It shows Datteltäter shooting videos, brainstorming, and relaxing with their friends and families. "I have brought these people together to achieve something,” says Younes, the founder of the project. This is the story of a young inter-religious group in Berlin, committed to tolerance and an open society.