Board Thread:Lore Discussion/@comment-209.7.3.188-20160303204000/@comment-26893431-20161028205158

The Beautiful Princess Ashley wrote:

Ulfric is not their agent, he is a tool being manipulated into doing what the thalmor want. he didn't communicate the incident to the thalmor, he asked the jarl for official permission to worship talos in the city, and the request was granted. because this action from an official is clearly a violation of the concordat, the thalmor stepped in. the difference with people like heimskr or the people in riften is that they don't have official permission ''After the war, contact was established and he has proven his worth as an asset. The so-called  Markarth Incident  was particularly valuable from the point of view of our strategic goals in  Skyrim, although it resulted in Ulfric becoming generally uncooperative to direct contact.'' -Thalmor Dossier: Ulfric Stormcloak

Ulfric was a Thalmor agent, the Markarth Incident was staged between him and the Thalmor, hence his demand of Talos worship. It was exactly what was needed to get the Thalmor an excuse to go to Skyrim, remember, nobody spoke of the acceptance. Then the Elves found out about it -Igmund Pity nobody told the elves, whole group of those Thalmor came and they demanded Ulfric's arrest. -Cedran

The Talos ban is still a ban, and it isn't enforced on Heimskr and the like because in reality, the Thalmor don't care for Talos worship. They don't arrest those who won't gain them anything. Hence why they abduct brothers, sisters, etc. To make families hissy.