40,000 Iraqis of a minority sect are stranded without water, but face mass murder by Isis if they leave their mountain.

Mohammed said it is legitimate to lie if someone forces you to convert to some other religion. I agree: lying is less bad than killing, so when killing in self defense is justified, as in a case like this, so is lying. By this standard, the trapped Yazidis could agree to "convert", flee the area, then say they lied under coersion.

They would have to stay out of Isis's hands, however. Muslim fanatics do not apply the Golden Rule to their own fanaticism.