By Aws Al-Sharqy, IOL Correspondent

BAGHDAD, May 5 (IslamOnline.net) – Thousands of Sunnis and Shiites joined forces Wednesday, May 5, to protest abuses by U.S. soldiers against Iraqi detainees and urge an end to the occupation of their oil-rich country.

"Go Home, U.S. Soldiers", "Iraq for Iraqis" and "Democracy is not to force people to follow USA", read some of the banners waived by the demonstrators who converged outside the Abu Ghraib prison.

The prison has been the scene of "gregarious" scenes, after photographs showed detainees being tortured and sexually abused by U.S. soldiers.

The angry demonstrators slammed the occupation forces and the U.S.-selected Iraqi Governing Council (IGC), calling on the latter to take an action and bring abuse practices in prisons.

They also appealed to the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross for immediate intervention to alleviate the suffering of thousands of Iraqis detained by the U.S.-led forces.

The angry protesters urged American forces to set free female detainees, amid media reports that some of them were raped by U.S. soldiers.

"Free our women, religious scholars and innocent civilians," they shouted.

A report made available to CNN on Tuesday, May 4, unveiled that the army investigation found that soldiers committed "egregious acts" and "grave breaches of international law" at Abu Ghraib.

'Disdainful'

Sunni and Shiite mosque imams joined the mass protest, organized by the Sunni Association of Muslim Scholars.

"We have come here to voice condemnation of oppression by the occupation forces in detention camps," said Mohamed Abdel-Baqi, the imam of Al-Risala mosque.

"This shows the extent of their moral degradation and abnormalities," Abdel-Baqi told IslamOnline.net.

"That's why we had decided to resist the occupation forces."

For Shiite protestors, the U.S. military practices against Iraqi detainees are equally infuriating.

"We are infuriated by these crimes, which show to the world the brutality of the occupation forces under the watchful eyes of the Governing Council members, who only care about their positions and salaries," said Shiite scholar Abdel-Hussein Al-Budeiri.

He said Shiites joined Sunni protestors to send the message loud and clear that "the unity of Muslims is the only guarantee to inflict defeat on the occupiers".

The imam of Al-Rasul Al-Aazum, also ridiculed the U.S. administrations claims that the Iraq war was to liberate its people of dictatorship.

"People are killed, tortured and raped in detention. Is this the democracy promised by (U.S. President George W.) Bush and his henchmen?"

U.s. army officials said the military has opened criminal investigations into the deaths of 25 detainees in Iraq and Afghanistan, including two homicides.

Apathy

The protestors questioned the silence of the Governing Council, accusing the body of double standards.

"Why do not they ask for handing over the perpetrators to Iraqi courts, as they did regarding Iraqi minors who mutilated the bodies of American soldiers in Fallujah," said Abdel-Wahab al-Samaray.

Gunmen had ambushed two four-wheel-drive vehicles in Fallujah on March 31, killing four American contractors, before angry crowds lynched the charred remains of two of the victims.

Al-Samaray said demonstrations "shall continue, and parties and institutions should pursue their struggle for expelling the occupiers and ending the corruption".

"This oppression will give momentum to our resistance against occupation forces until victory."