No its not valid or viable. ITs heretical as he pointed out at least the fact that he doesnot believe Allah's pre-determination is absolute. Allah made Kharijites kill Ali r.a and Allah decreed 9/11. There is good in everything which happens to the Ummah. Ahlus Sunnah Muslims are perfectly comfortable in saying Allah creates evil. Allah gives cancer, AIDS, heartattacks, poverty and makes wars and bombs fall on our heads. Everything is predetermined is a basic Ahlus Sunnah belief. WE are not to question Allah's awareness or execution of destiny retrospectively. If he is saying that 9/11 happened out of the will of Allah that is completely heretical. WE have a clear well defined paradox in our belief which we as Ahlus Sunnah accept and thus despite believing that Allah does everything the believer does not cease to engage his nafs to change everything according to Islam's ethical and moral value system. No one denies that Khaled Abou El Fadl is a good man, that he has worked long hours and days in the service of Islam more than many other scholars. That many Islamo-phobes hate him to more bigger extents than other Muslim activist. However we have to say wrong where someone is wrong. And his knowledge of destiny is skewed. May Allah enlighten him and make him do more service than what he has already done. He is a very articulate writer, a very moderate man and he is rational and has documented puritanical Islam well in the only book I have read so far by him. His sincerity can be deciphered from the interview. However he holds a heretical belief and its significance shouldnot be downplayed. Absolute pre-determination is supposed to be a believers great comfort.