CAIRO, Feb. 4 (Saba) -- An Egyptian Muslim scholar called on young people gathered in Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo to return home and end 10 days of demonstrations to force President Hosni Mubarak to immediately end his 30-year-old rule, Xinhua News has reported.

Mubarak has vowed not to seek another term when his presidential term ends in September.

"Return home safely. Whatever you side with Mubarak or oppose him, please go back home. If you get hurt, we get hurt as well," Muslim cleric Mohamed el-Masri told state Nile News TV.

On Thursday, Egyptian Vice President Omar Suleiman asked protesters to go home.

"I say to the young people, we thank you for what you did...The state has heeded all the demands that we made, please give a chance to the state to carry out its duties," he told the state TV.

"(Asking Mubarak to) Leave now is a call for chaos," he warned.

Thousands of protesters gathered in the central Cairo square on Friday, dubbed the "Day of Departure", to demand the end of Mubarak's regime.

The protests are expected to reach a peak after the Friday prayers, but the TV said a lot of protesters expressed their desire to end their rally as the army said it would guarantee their safe exit from the square.


Saba